NEXT STATION – the 4th International Conference on Railway Stations – jointly organised by UIC and Russian Railways (RZD), will be one of the leading global events in the railway and transport sector in the second half of 2013.
During the UIC General Assembly held on 27 June in Paris, RZD President and UIC Chairman Vladimir Yakunin formally signed the official agreement with UIC Director General Jean-Pierre Loubinoux setting the frame and defining all aspects of the preparation of this unique conference (see UIC eNews 353).
Following the successful 3rd edition held in April 2011 in Brussels, NEXT STATION’s 4th edition is to take place from 17 – 18 October 2013 in Moscow, Kazansky Voksal Station.
NEXT STATION will definitively be the place to be for all decision-makers, senior railway executives and all business partners currently or potentially involved in the railway station development business across the globe.
Kazansky Voksal, where this leading international event is to take place in Moscow, illustrates the large scope of functions of an important railway station in an extensive city such as Moscow and a large country such as Russia. Kazansky Station is one of the most important stations considering the passenger traffic records in the Russian mega-city. It is also a magnificent piece of architecture and historic heritage of Russian Railways.
The NEXT STATION Organising Committee and Communications Group met successively on 11 and 12 July at the RZD Directorate for Railway Stations and RZD Department for International Affairs. The following departments and activities of Russian Railways were represented: Directorate for Railway Stations, Advisor to RZD President and UIC Chairman, Departments for International Affairs, Communications Department including Media Department and the conference organiser Grusti Niet. For UIC, the Passenger Department as well as the UIC Communications Department were represented.
The main purpose of these meetings was to finalise the general organisation of the NEXT STATION event and progress in defining the overall conference programme.
The general theme of NEXT STATION 2013 is “Railway Stations – Linking Railways and Society”. It illustrates how railway stations have become a strategic issue for all railway companies across the globe. They have to fulfil a series of objectives such as being a fundamental element of the rail and multimodal transport chain, being increasingly profitable and creating benefits for railway operators, and last but not least, contributing to sustainable transport, urban development and economic activity.
The programme will cover a range of essential topics of railway station planning and operations. During the Organising committee, UIC and RZD agreed on the following schedule:
– Opening of the conference by Mr Vladimir Yakunin, RZD President and Mr Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director General
– Round Table moderated by a well-known Russian journalist. High level railway participants will join this round table
– Around 50 speakers will participate in 8 parallel sessions. They will present and discuss the following topics:
- Governance and Financing: a new approach
- Innovations
- Business and services
- Station design around the world
- Intermodality centres
- Integrated protection
- Sustainable stations
- Connecting stations with the city
- Closing session
– Technical visits (railway station refurbishment in Moscow, process of station transformation including additional functions)
Throughout the conference, an exhibition will be organised where many railway station representatives can show their know-how.
The definitive general programme will be published during the summer: name of speakers, patronage, sponsors…
The definitive organisation at Kazansky station was presented. The surface area of the existing station will be used for the Next Station conference, making the most of the station space.
There will be two main rooms used for the conference. The existing waiting area will be dedicated to the exhibition and coffee breaks, in a very nice area.
All details concerning the conference were then discussed between RZD and UIC (interpreters, registration, website, conference bags, documentation…).
During the second day of the preparation, RZD and UIC specified the points concerning external communications for the conference, such as relations with media, making a video clip, etc..
The next organising committee and communication group will meet in Paris at the beginning of September 2013.
