Development of innovative partnership discussed
In accordance with the 2020 work plan, UIC attended the annual meeting of the OSJD 5th Commission (Infrastructure and Rolling Stock) held on 9–10 November as an online conference and discussed next steps for the migration of joint UIC/OSJD leaflets into International Railway Solutions (IRS).
The meeting was attended by representatives from the railways of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, Czech Republic as well as representatives of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF), the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the OSJD Committee.
On behalf of Mr François Davenne, UIC Director General, the UIC delegation congratulated Mr Miroslaw Antonowicz, Chairman of the OSJD Committee, on his recent appointment to the position of Chairman and thanked him for his personal attendance at the meeting. The urgent need to continue current coordination of UIC-OSJD activities in respect of modern technical solutions (including IRSs) for further joint development by OSJD and UIC for the benefit of the railway operating community (ROC) throughout Eurasia was underlined. It was agreed that UIC and OSJD leadership would meet as soon as conditions allow in order to discuss the strategic visions of both organisations and explore how they can be adapted to the new global context.
Rolling stock gauge – interoperability requirements
The meeting participants approved the work carried out by experts in 2020 on the specific topic of “Reference outline of rearranged wagons running on the 1435 mm track gauge”. This will take the form of an annex to the current OSJD Leaflet O 500, “General rules on gauges for rolling stock in interoperable (direct) international traffic”. A proposal put forward by MAV (Hungarian OSJD member) describing the need to develop a new rolling stock gauge and resolve the issue of the 1-BM rolling stock gauge, which contradicts European Standard 1300/2014/ЕС following renovation of platforms, is to be addressed. This will also have an impact on the revision process for the UIC-OSJD IRS 50505-1 in years to come.
Development of IRSs to be continued jointly by UIC and OSJD in 2021
The meeting participants approved the results from 2020 and proposed continuing activities for migration of OSJD and UIC leaflets into IRSs in 2021. The first joint UIC-OSJD IRS 50505-1, “Rolling stock gauge”, which includes general and specific 1520 parts, will be translated into Russian in mid-December and submitted for approval to the next OSJD Conference of Directors General to be held in April 2021 in Moscow.
The meeting participants discussed the new draft Terms of Reference (ToR) of the UIC-OSJD Joint Working Group (JWG) on IRSs. The new draft ToR will need to be submitted to the governing bodies of both organisations for further approval in 2021 while respecting established procedures within UIC and OSJD. Participants also agreed to improve and simplify the title of the topic and the JWG within OSJD documents, as follows: “Conversion of OSJD and UIC Leaflets into IRSs”. The new title is to be approved at a high-level meeting of OSJD authorised representatives to be held on 1–4 December.
UIC’s representative presented the current status of the programme for migration of UIC leaflets into IRSs and the schedule for migration activities for 2020-2022. There is growing interest in the activities of the UIC-OSJD JWG on IRSs and 11 OSJD railways will now take part in these activities in 2021: Belarusian Railway (BC), Hungarian State Railways (MAV), JSC “NC” Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), Railway of Moldova State Enterprise (CFM), Mongolian Railways (UBZD), JSC Polish State Railways (JSC PKP), JSC Russian Railways (RZD), Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia JSC), with Latvian Railways (LDZ), Lithuanian Railways (LTG Cargo) and Estonian Railways (EVR) as observers.
The work programme of the OSJD 5th Commission (Infrastructure & Rolling stock) has been developed for 2021 and 2022, and includes numerous items involving UIC experts. The work programme is to be approved during the high-level meeting of OSJD authorised representatives (Transport Ministers and Directors General) on 1–4 December.
