This seminar, held under the aegis of UIC and RZD, brought together almost 30 people, namely wagon experts from technical areas such as operations and manufacturing. The conference was also streamed live on the internet for any participants unable to attend.
In the first half of the meeting an outline was given of the existing practices along with their legal and statutory bases. Mrs Lyudmila Renne, deputy head of RZD’s Department for International Cooperation, and Dimitri Losev, Head of the Wagon Department, presented the new rules being developed, taking into account structural changes to OSJD member countries. OSJD Secretary-General Mr Kalman Somodi gave an update on improvements to the implementation handbook for the CIM/SMGS consignment note. Mr Nicolas Czernecki explained the key constituents of the GCU, the contract defining the use of wagons among 600 wagon keepers and railway undertakings. Mr Bernard Schmitt from UIC underlined the importance of the UIC/OSJD agreement on conversion between 8- and 12-digit wagon numbers.
Mr Vitautas Kinderis, representing ERA, reviewed the work to incorporate the 1520 mm system into the TSI and collaboration with OSJD. The presentation of Freight One, an RZD subsidiary running freight services between Europe and Asia, and its business gave rise to a great deal of interest. The company has a fleet of over 170,000 wagons with a non-utilisation rate of under 10%. The presentation of Freight Two’s activities showed participants the various market approaches of these RZD subsidiaries.
The technical parameters of the 1435 and 1520 mm systems were addressed in the second part of the meeting.
Measures to improve wagon productivity (axle load) at Iranian Railways were presented by Vincent Vu, Director of UIC’s Institutional Relations Department and Coordinator of UIC Asia.
Hans-Jurgen Geissler from UIC announced the 15 November kick-off meeting of the feasibility study on Automatic Track Gauge Changeover Systems.
Mr Dimitri Shipadi, Head of RZD’s new freight wagon division, sketched out the prerequisites needed for wagon harmonisation:
- Track gauge systems
- Weather conditions
- Braking systems
- Coupling procedures
- Safety
Mr Yeveheniy Lozovoy from Tatravagonka a.s. and Mr Segey Sapozhnikov from the VNIIZht Research Institute looked at the technical advances and improved performances that could be addressed by freight rolling stock
This seminar concluded with a joint declaration between the participants and remains a singular milestone in the opportunity it presented to examine both operation systems’ good practices and experience for the sector, railway undertakings, manufacturers and operators.
The discussions sparked on the operating conditions of the six-axle tank wagon during testing are a perfect example.
