The UIC has officially released IRS 30345, a new standard designed to harmonise environmental specifications for the procurement of new rolling stock. Replacing UIC Leaflet 345, this IRS establishes a harmonised framework to support energy-efficient, low-emission, and circular solutions while minimising noise and vibration impacts in accordance with international regulatory frameworks.
Technical scope and circularity goals
IRS 30345 adopts a functional approach, prioritising performance-based specifications over specific technical solutions. A cornerstone of this new standard is the increase of component recyclability rates from 85% to 95%. By establishing these ambitious circularity goals, the IRS provides a clear roadmap for reducing virgin material inflow and ensuring the long-term availability of critical raw materials throughout the production, operation, and end-of-life phases.
The energy specifications cover four focus areas:
- Energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: Covers production, end-of-life, and operational phases (traction, auxiliary, and stand-still).
- Noise and vibrations: Focuses on environmental impacts to ensure community well-being.
- Air quality: Addresses both exhaust and non-exhaust pollutants (e.g. particulate matter from rail-wheel interaction).
- Material use and circularity: Promotes a circular economy by emphasising material reuse, recycling, and the use of rapidly renewable materials.
Furthermore, the document integrates specific considerations of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), particularly regarding Environmental Standards (ESRS E1 to E5), bridging technical requirements and global sustainability reporting.
Guidance for procurement professionals
UIC strongly encourages procurement specialists within railway companies and across the rail supply chain to adopt IRS 30345 as a primary reference tool. This framework allows professionals to more effectively:
- Standardise tender requirements: Use clear, harmonised language to define environmental performance in tender documents.
- Ensure regulatory alignment: Align procurement processes with international standards and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Drive supply chain innovation: Encourage suppliers to meet higher benchmarks for circularity and energy efficiency, ensuring a more sustainable lifecycle for all rolling stock components.
Joint development
The development of IRS 30345 was a cooperative effort involving key industry stakeholders. UIC expresses its gratitude to the project partners Catalan Government Railways (FGC), Network Rail, Dutch Railways (NS), and Trenitalia for their expertise. Additionally, specialised consultancy was provided by Wiliam Sales Partnership ((WSP), formerly Ricardo Rail Nederland BV), whose support was instrumental in drafting the final technical specifications.
While not a legally binding document, IRS 30345 serves as an essential reference framework to align procurement processes with UN Sustainable Development Goals and European legislation.
For more information on how to apply these standards to your procurement process, please refer to the full document available on [ETF-Shop].
