A total of 11 IRSs were awarded at the UIC Excellence in Standardisation Awards as part of the third UIC International Standardisation Conference, a key event for UIC and the railway standardisation community. The awards highlight achievements in terms of IRS quality and quantity over the past two years and reinforce UIC’s role as a technical platform and standardisation body for railway stakeholders.

The design, construction and operation of a new high-speed rail (HSR) system is a complex task. To deal with the rigorous technical requirements, the UIC Intercity & High Speed Committee organised a working group to develop the IRS 6067× “Implementation of a high-speed railway” series, which includes IRS 60672 “Implementation of a high-speed railway – feasibility phase”, winner of an Excellence in Standardisation Award. The award is a great honour for me and for all members of the UIC Intercity & High-Speed Committee. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who made this happen, particularly the experts from CR, FCH, CRECC, SNCF, DB, JR, Trafikverket, Renfe and CARS, as well as the teams from the UIC Passenger Department and Standardisation Unit.

IRS 60672 provides recommendations for the implementation of HSR projects during the feasibility phase. The IRS covers six stages: feasibility study, environmental assessment, financial and economic assessment, multicriteria analysis, preliminary design and empowerment. The following aspects are considered for each stage: objectives, key points, inputs, outputs, stakeholders involved, empowerment, risks and mitigating measures, and financial aspects. The IRS takes account of best practices and innovations and proposes a comprehensive, harmonised solution for implementation of HSR projects. It offers innovative guidelines providing added value for stakeholders and for the development of HSR worldwide.