In accordance with the Cooperation Plan for 2019 between UIC and OSJD, the meeting of the OSJD-UIC Joint Working Group (JWG) on converting joint UIC/OSJD leaflets into International Railway Solutions (IRS) was held on 1 – 3 October 2019 in Warsaw.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the following railways: Belarus Railway (BC); Railway of Moldova (CFM); Russian Railways (JSC RZD); International Union of Railways (UIC); OSJD Committee.

RZD JSC representatives reported on the work carried out currently for the revision of OSJD/UIC joint leaflets О 500/505-6 “Rolling Stock Gauges” – as the result, the first IRS 1501 edition has been drafted. Similar drafting is under development on OSJD/UIC leaflet O 502-3/502 “Carriage of exceptional goods in international railway traffic with the participation of railways with 1435 mm and 1520 mm gauges”.

In turn, UIC presented the implementation status of the migration programme of UIC leaflets into IRS including the joint OSJD/UIC ones. OSJD, UIC and RZD JSC experts plan to meet on 25 – 29 November 2019 in Paris for the final draft of IRS 1501 including 1520 technical parameters to be elaborated.

RZD JSC and UIC suggested some provisional updates to the actual text of JWG Terms of Reference due to a change of the UIC structure and setting up of the UIC Standardisation Unit, as well as UIC demand to use English for the exchange of documents between OSJD & UIC experts following the UIC Standardisation Guide.

JWG agreed on a working programme and schedule for 2020.