The new Chairs of the UIC Noise and Vibration Sector and UIC Advisors gathered in Gothenburg for their first strategy planning and development meeting. Sector Chair Alf Ekblad welcomed participants to the Trafikverket offices in Gothenburg. This event marked a constructive and forward-looking start under the new leadership, offering an opportunity to review ongoing activities, define technical priorities and align on the strategic direction of the Sector for the coming years, including communication and dissemination practices. Discussions focused on key topics, including:

• Upcoming Sector Meeting in Utrecht (14 and 16 April 2026)
  This is reserved exclusively for UIC members. It will be organised over three days, with one day dedicated to the Noise Sector and one to the Vibration Sector, enabling focused technical exchanges and sector-specific discussions. Registration will be required for UIC members attending on 14 and 16 April, via MSFORMS.

• Vibration Day Event, hosted at Inntel Hotel by ProRail (15 April 2026)
  This event will be organised as an in-person public event, open to experts and aimed at strengthening practical knowledge exchange on vibration-related topics. Please note that places are limited, and registration must be made through MSFORMS.

• Sustainability Action Week (19 to 22 April 2027)
  This major upcoming event will focus heavily on UIC Railway Noise Day activities and is intended to be an interactive event, with active participation and exchange encouraged. It will also be open to sponsors. Further details, including registration and the launch of the dedicated website, will be announced in the first half of 2026.

• Call for tender process on “Noise from parked trains: Estimating affected population and informing limit values”

This supports further technical and policy developments within the Sector as part of the NOVITÀ Project. Deadline for submission: 23 February 2026 at 9:00 CET. The work will run from March to June 2026, with the final report delivered in July.

As part of the meeting, a special field visit was organised to the University of Gothenburg, where vibration laboratory testing is carried out, providing additional technical input to better understand vibration and certain sound boundaries.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact us at noisevibration at uic.org.