The UIC Security Platform Steering Committee met on Tuesday, 23 June 2009 at UIC, following the previous day’s platform working group meeting on Human Factors and Security chaired by Mr Mironov of the Russian Railways RZD.

UIC’s Director General Jean-Pierre Loubinoux opened the session chaired by the Platform’s chairman T Kacsmarek. The Platform’s organisation is designed to make this meeting the place for reporting back on progress made on work started in the course of the year and preparing the ground for this work to continue and develop.

Following the success of the Marrakesh Symposium on the 16 and 17 March 2009, a CD Rom bringing together presentations made at the event is to be circulated. A decision was also taken to launch preparations for the 2010 Symposium.

A review of work carried out by the groups showed that the majority of work had either been completed or was underway, both in the field of railway specific issues and those matters involving partner institutions – in particular national authorities or other international organisations active on the subject.

The emphasis was placed on developing the synergy which exists between groups and on the importance of their joint in-depth work with the passenger, freight and infrastructure groups, given that company security policies must be part of an all encompassing strategy. Meetings to present the work of the security platform will be organised to this end.

The importance of continuing joint work with the UITP was also confirmed during the meeting, both in terms of training and use of different kinds of security equipment.

Among the priority issues to be focused on by the UIC security competence centre in 2009- 2010 are:

– the impact of the passenger market being opened to competition in Europe in 2010, on security
– the establishment of a general set of common principles governing how high speed railway security systems should be organised.