(ATTI: Agreement concerning the Technical Transfer Inspection upon the exchange of wagons)

On 11 June, over 30 freight railway undertakings involved in the exchange of wagons took part in the inaugural General Assembly of the UIC ATTI Special Group (ATTI standing for “Agreement concerning the Technical Transfer Inspection upon the exchange of wagons”).

The meeting appointed an Executive Committee of seven railway undertakings and a chairman, Gerhard Bader of Rail Cargo Group.

In order to optimise and facilitate the exchange of wagons, the railway undertakings involved undertake to apply shared principles and rules with regard to forward planning, quality and safety on a number of pre-agreed trains. This is the purpose of the ATTI agreement. Interoperability is thus boosted in the shape of a harmonised technical transfer inspection.

UIC involvement takes agreement to a new level

To date, members have applied a variety of different agreements governing technical transfer inspections. The service supplied by UIC means that over 30 railway undertakings will henceforth be working in accordance with common principles to ensure equivalent safety levels between freight convoys.

As part of its efforts to facilitate wagon exchange and interoperability, UIC will be supplying administrative assistance and other services to help monitor vital quality indicators, manage the ATTI agreement, and run the special group.

How to participate and join

In order to take an active role in the group, any railway undertaking in possession of a safety certificate and signatory to the GCU (General Contract for the Use of wagons, which governs the rights and obligations of RUs and wagon keepers) may join, subject to its having a technical wagon inspection service and a company quality-monitoring system.

The special group is open to any company meeting the aforementioned conditions, whether it is a UIC member or not. Various railway undertakings have already signalled their intention to join the group in the near future.