1950 ORE

In the area of technical study and research, UIC created its Office for Research and Experiments (ORE) in 1950 in Utrecht (Netherlands). The latter was in charge of carrying out studies for the purposes of standardisation and, more generally, any studies and experimentation work necessary for the projects coordinated by UIC. To successfully complete its work, ORE was able to use its members’ testing and experimentation facilities.
In addition, it owned its own climatic testing station in Vienna Arsenal to test railway rolling stock and equipment in extreme temperature conditions. In 1992 ORE became ERRI – European Railway Research Institute. Its tasks consisted in defining, more independently, programmes for test installations of strategic importance in the development of rail transport, assessing the compliance of new products – in close cooperation with the railway supply industry – and in performing any testing and experimentation work requested by the members or outside organisations on a customer/supplier basis.