The 4th International Rail Business Forum “1520 Strategic Partnership”, brought together railways from countries in the 1520 gauge area.

Companies at this Forum focused on creating, both between them and at a broader international scale, new lines of business and common development projects of great interest. The annual conference, hosted by Russian Railways (RZD) this year had a particularly international flavour, given sponsorship by Deutsche Bahn and the presence of Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director General attending at the personal invitation of Vladimir Yakunin.

This was an opportunity for the UIC Director General to gain an insight into the long term vision on mobility development both for goods and persons, concerns about having more presence on the international stage – a area where UIC has a role to play- and to experience the climate of mutual trust that exists between the heads of these networks, despite the vast geographical distances between them. This Forum was testimony to the strong economic and cultural bond which railways create between different networks and different parts of the world.