In accordance with Cooperation Plan for 2020 between UIC and OSJD, the meeting of the UIC-OSJD Joint Working Group (JWG) on the conversion of joint UIC/OSJD leaflets into International Railway Solutions (IRS) was held online from 21 – 22 July 2020.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the following railways:
Belarusian Railway (BC),
NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC (NC KTZ JSC),
Railway of Moldova State Enterprise (CFM),
Polish State Railways JSC (PKP JSC),
Russian Railways OJSC (RZD OJSC),
Ukrainian Railways JSC (Ukrzalyznitsia JSC),
Hungarian State Railways CJSC (MAV Zrt.) as an observer,
Lithuanian Railways JSC - AB Lietuvos gelezinkeliai (LG) as an observer,
Latvian Railways SJSC (LDZ) as an observer,
International Union of Railways (UIC), and
OSJD Committee.
On behalf of Mr Francois Davenne, UIC Director General, the UIC Standardisation Platform stressed the exceptional need for the synchronisation of UIC-OSJD activities on the proper technical solutions (including IRSs) to be further developed jointly by OSJD and UIC.
IRS “Carriage of exceptional goods” under improvement
The first draft IRS “Carriage of exceptional goods in international railway traffic” was analysed. The discussion focused on comments and suggestions received from JWG Members which are going to be incorporated in the next version of the document.
The UIC representatives updated the meeting on the progress of publishing the first version of the IRS by the UIC in 2020. This version does not still include any parameters for the 1520 mm railway system. However, following the UIC-OSJD process on the development of the joint IRS draft, UIC would be prepared to update the IRS as a joint document in 2021.
IRS 50505-1 under approval
The meeting discussed the status of the completed draft IRS 50505-1 “Rolling Stock Gauges”. It had been developed on the basis of the OSJD-UIC joint Leaflet OSJD O 500/UIC 505-6. UIC is going to approve IRS 50505-1 during August 2020. The final version of IRS will include the Specific application part for 1520 (1524) mm and 1435 mm track gauges in the networks of OSJD Members. In its turn, OSJD is going to submit IRS 50505-1 for approval at the XXXV session of the OSJD Conference of Directors General (CGD), preliminary to be held in September 2020.
Annual priorities planning confirmed
Following the proposal of JWG Members, JWG should continue to revise the following OSJD-UIC joint Leaflets:
- OSJD O+R 516/UIC 430-4 “Freight wagons. Operation between 1435 mm gauge and 1520 mm gauge networks. Technical provisions and approval”;
- OSJD O+PR 524/UIC 508-3 “Passenger coaches - General requirements for running gear with dual gauge wheelsets for railways with 1435 mm and 1520 mm gauges”;
- OSJD O+R 535/UIC 535-2 “Standardisation and positioning on wagons of steps, end platforms, gangways, handrails, tow hooks, automatic coupler (AC), automatic draw-on coupling and brake valve controls to be used on the railways of OSJD & UIC";
The meeting participants believed that the current list could be modified in line with the actual and new priorities of the railways e.g.:
- PKP JSC requested to add the draft Leaflet R 532 “Crash elements of railway rolling stock. Technical requirements and tests” to the priority list.
- MAV Zrt. suggested to develop a new rolling stock gauge and solve the issue of the 1-BM Rolling Stock gauge which contradicts to European standard 1300/2014/ЕС after renovation of platforms.
Progress on migration of UIC Leaflets into IRS
With the aim of being fully transparent, UIC presented the current state of the overall IRS migration programme. The objective is to help and to encourage OSJD Members in selecting current leaflets to be developed into IRSs jointly by experts of UIC and OSJD.
New Terms of Reference of JWG
The meeting discussed the draft Terms of Reference of the UIC-OSJD JWG on IRS and postponed its endorsement following a request of representatives of Russian Railways who suggested to update it by respecting the recent changes in organisational structures of both UIC and OSJD.
Next schedule
The next preliminary meeting of the UIC-OSJD JWG on IRS is going to be held online from 9 – 10 September 2020.
