Purpose: improving the safety of railway rolling stock in curves and on mountain-pass sections of the track by studying the interaction of rolling stock and track. Methods: experimental studies of wagon vibrations in order to identify additional fluctuations and deviations in the wheel-rail system in the presence of track deviations in the plan, such as rail level, rail misalignment, subsidence, narrowing and widening of the track, straightening, skew. Investigation of the influence of dangerous combinations of rolling stock and track parameter values on the occurrence of emergency situations. Results: when analyzing the causes of the derailment of railway rolling stock, it is necessary to take into account, in addition to track defects, the technical condition of the wagons and the locomotive. At the same time, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive assessment of both the rolling stock, including the locomotive, and the track. Based on the results of a comprehensive assessment, a selection of dangerous combinations of deviations from the nominal values of the dimensions of the car, locomotive and track is carried out, depending on the speed of movement. Practical importance: the proposed technical solutions and recommendations are aimed at improving the use of freight wagons, taking into account the rational conditions of their operation in the mountainous terrain of the East Siberian railway. The implementation of these proposals will reduce the annual costs of eliminating the consequences of gatherings: damaged infrastructure (repair of wagons, restoration of tracks, alarm, centralization and blocking devices, work of track equipment, etc.).