Speakers include Germany’s Minister of Digital & Transport, the European Commission’s Director of Land Transport and the Director General of the International Unions of Railways (UIC)
Mobility leaders will debate how sustainable innovation can transform transport and help change the world during the 11th International Railway Summit. The summit, organised in association with the International Union of Railways (UIC), takes place from 30 May to 1 June 2022 in Berlin, Germany.
Faced with the challenges of a climate emergency, a worldwide pandemic and growing political uncertainty, the summit will look at how to build social, environmental and economic sustainability, under the theme ‘Innovating rail for people, planet and prosperity’.
On the first day of the conference, Germany’s Federal Minster of Digital & Transport, Dr Volker Wissing, will present the host country’s vision for supporting a strong and sustainable railway in a speech entitled Strategic vision for investment in rail and how we can meet climate targets.
The opening plenary of the conference will ask How can mobility lead a greener future?. Speakers will debate how modes can continue to work together to reduce emissions and safeguard environments. Senior figures will include:
- François Davenne, Director General, UIC
- Rafael Schvartzman, Regional Vice President Europe, International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General of the POLIS network of European cities
- Andre Rodenbeck, CEO Rail Infrastructure of Siemens Mobility and President of the German Railway Association (VDB)
- Carlo Borghini, Executive Director of Europe’s Rail
An often-neglected aspect of sustainability is ensuring long-term social value for our cities and regions. The plenary How do we improve the social value of mobility? will explore how transport can remain at the heart of our communities and be a strong backbone for a better, more accessible and more inclusive future. Summit delegates will hear from:
- Silvia Roldán, CEO, Madrid Metro
- Lucie Anderton, Head of Sustainable Development, UIC
- Dee Waddell, Global Managing Director Travel & Transportation, IBM
- Jodi Evans, Women Transport Workers’ & Gender Equality Officer, International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)
- Andre Dzikus, Coordinator Urban Basic Services Branch, UN-Habitat
- Tu My Tran, Head of Sustainable Mobility, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
The railways have suffered financially through the uncertain times of recent years. On the final day of the conference, the plenary What should rail be doing to attract public and private investment? will discuss how the sector can receive the support it requires, and how its sustainable credentials can help attract funding from governments and private investors alike. Speakers will include:
- Christian Kern, Former Federal Chancellor, Republic of Austria
- Kristian Schmidt, Director Land Transport, Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), European Commission (EC)
- Bernard Gustin, CEO, Lineas
- Nancy Vandycke, Program Manager Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All) Initiative, World Bank
- Olivier Desfontaines, Global Head of Rail Sector, Crédit Agricole CIB
As the greenest mode of public transport, the railways have an opportunity to lead the way to a brighter future. The plenary Transforming rail by 2030: how can we get on track for climate targets? will debate specific steps the sector can take to meet climate targets by making energy efficiencies, adopting cutting-edge innovations, and shifting passengers and goods to rail. Speakers will include:
- Josef Doppelbauer, Executive Director, EU Agency for Railways (ERA)
- Sigrid Nikutta, CEO, DB Cargo
- Philippe Citroën, Director General, Association of the European Rail Industry (UNIFE)
- Xavier Léty, President, RATP CAP Île-de-France
- Lucie Anderton, Head of Sustainable Development, International Union of Railways (UIC)
The conference will also feature a number of breakout sessions tackling air-rail collaboration, freight innovation (‘TradeTech’), digitalisation, station experience, cross-border multimodality, asset planning and infrastructure asset data, amongst other topics.
To download the summit agenda, please visit this page. To purchase a conference pass, visit https://www.irits.org/irs11/participation-packages/general-registration/. UIC members are eligible for an 8% discount until Friday 29 April.
Use discount code UICPS8 to make use of this offer.
