A delegation of 25 members of the Japan Railway Engineers’ Association (JREA), led by its President Dr Mitsuo Hanawa, paid a visit to UIC Headquarters in Paris on 19 September as part of a ‘Europe Mission’. The focus of the technical visits and presentations during this European trip was on infrastructure and in particular track maintenance. Participants represented railway companies (e.g. East Japan and West Japan railway companies), Tokyo Metro, and included railway consultants and a number of Japanese railway manufacturers.

The delegation was welcomed by UIC Director-General Jean-Pierre Loubinoux and Communications Director Paul Véron, who delivered an opening presentation on UIC’s current missions and activities. UIC’s technical activities in the infrastructure and track maintenance field – and in particular the results of the Innotrack project – were presented by Mr Björn Paulsson, Project Manager within the UIC Rail System Department. UIC’s technical activities were also presented by Mr Masaru Ota, Senior Advisor within the UIC Institutional Relations Department.