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Low Carbon Rail Challenge Technical Report
UIC, the International Railway Association, has announced a transport sector challenge in the framework of the green growth agenda and climate change perspective for 2030 and 2050. This challenge sets out ambitious but achievable targets for improvement of rail sector energy efficiency, reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and a more sustainable balance between transport modes. These targets have been voted unanimously by UIC worldwide members in UIC General Assembly, held in Paris on June 27th 2014.
These worldwide voluntary reduction objectives follow what has already been put into practice at the European level by UIC and CER with the “European Rail Sector Sustainable Mobility Strategy” that envisages specific targets for energy efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, PM/NOx emissions reduction and noise reduction to be met by the EU railway sector in 2030 and 2050.
In order to monitor the environmental performance of the European Railway Sector, the UIC Environmental Strategy Reporting System (ESRS) has been created as a comprehensive instrument which allows the overall procedure of construction of indicators, data collection, analysis, reporting and data sharing to be regulated in a clear and transparent structure.
These worldwide voluntary reduction objectives follow what has already been put into practice at the European level by UIC and CER with the “European Rail Sector Sustainable Mobility Strategy” that envisages specific targets for energy efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, PM/NOx emissions reduction and noise reduction to be met by the EU railway sector in 2030 and 2050.
In order to monitor the environmental performance of the European Railway Sector, the UIC Environmental Strategy Reporting System (ESRS) has been created as a comprehensive instrument which allows the overall procedure of construction of indicators, data collection, analysis, reporting and data sharing to be regulated in a clear and transparent structure.
IEA-UIC Energy and CO2 Railway Handbook 2013
Railways and biofuel final report
RAILsilience - Masks ventilation and social distancing
High-speed Lines
RAILsilience - Masks ventilation and social distancing JAPANESE
RAILsilience - Back on the track RUSSIAN
Study on capacity reserve (2015)
In its White Paper, the European Commission spoke of an increase in intra-European transport, all modes included, of 38% in ten years time. It also mentioned a growth in the rail freight’s market share of around 8 to 15% to the year 2020. To meet this challenge, a large number of railway companies has adopted an aggressive strategy where intermodal transport plays an important role. Contrary to the general trend of rail freight, rail/road intermodal transport more than doubled between 1986 and 2000 - attaining 180 million tons.
These figures show that in order to absorb the growth announced in the White Paper and for railway companies to be able to propose adapted and competitive products it has become vital to have sufficient infrastructure capacity.
That is why UIC’s Combined Transport Group has decided to commission a study to identify the measures to be taken by transport industry players (government authorities, railway companies, operators, infrastructure management). This is particularly important in terms of investment, to guarantee our share of the intermodal business.
These figures show that in order to absorb the growth announced in the White Paper and for railway companies to be able to propose adapted and competitive products it has become vital to have sufficient infrastructure capacity.
That is why UIC’s Combined Transport Group has decided to commission a study to identify the measures to be taken by transport industry players (government authorities, railway companies, operators, infrastructure management). This is particularly important in terms of investment, to guarantee our share of the intermodal business.
oj 8 8 2012 c 238 05
RAILsilience - Back on the track JAPANESE
23 September 2026
Save the date: Africa Region training session on the security of major events
23 September 2026
Register now: The Transformation of Railway Education – Opportunities and Challenges Associated with the “New Way of Learning”
23 September 2026
Now available: Tour&Rail’s Comparative Analysis of the Douro and Lucca–Aulla Railway Lines
23 September 2026
European Management Committee meets in Berlin under new Chair Gianpiero Strisciuglio
15 September 2026
Innovation Workshop “From chat to action: will Agentic AI transform the travel experience?” takes place
15 September 2026
Investment in rail: 6th International Symposium on High-Speed Rail Socioeconomic Impacts
15 September 2026
Connecting the continent: UIC launches the Regional Competence Hub Africa
14 September 2026
New working groups launched to continue the IRS migration process
7 September 2026
Translating ideas into impact: How the UIC Academic Board for Innovation is driving global rail collaboration
7 September 2026
UIC launches a new cycle of the UIC Global Mentoring Programme for Railway Talent
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
Railway Fuel Filtration for Internal Combustion Engines
2026-09-24 10:00:28
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
UIMC Congress 2026
2026-09-24 10:00:28
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
UIC Standardisation Day
2026-09-24 10:00:28
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
Excellence in Railway Publications Award 2026
2026-09-24 10:00:28
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
56th Watford Conference
2026-09-24 10:00:28
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
Investment and Financing Solutions for Africa’s Railway Future
2026-09-24 10:00:28
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
9th Training on Commuter and Regional Train Services
2026-09-24 10:00:28
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
Africa Region Training session: Security of major events
2026-09-24 10:00:28
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
5th Global FRMCS Conference
2026-09-24 10:00:28
now: 1790208000 date: 1790208000
Rail energy optimisation Workshop
2026-09-24 10:00:28