The new edition of this meeting aimed to inform and involve experts of the region’s members with regard to the topics of Safety/Security, Passengers and Rail System. Exceptionally extended to one-and-a-half days to cover a particularly densely-packed programme, the concept of Total Protection was presented to railway networks where railway safety and security are sometimes consolidated under a single command. Jacques Colliard, Head of the UIC Security Division, explained the organisation and work of the UIC Security Platform, while topics on effective protection against cable theft, the everyday work with authorities, as well as the programme of the next seminar on the safety database were shared with members present at the meeting.
Teodor Gradinariu, expert in the Rail System Department, explained in detail the concepts of Asset Management and LICB by sharing the document developed by the World Bank on railway reform as well as other UIC studies on the subject. Particular emphasis was placed on the deployment of international railway standards and the presentation of the department’s new projects for 2015 in order to better inform and involve members, while our members shared their experience on management programmes to replace viaducts.
Finally, Inaki Barron, UIC Passenger Director, led the last session dedicated to member success stories regarding energy saving in stations, a follow-up to the study carried out in 2013 by the region, as well as information about staff and passengers thanks to the increased use of tablets and smart phones in Taiwan and Japan. This session concluded with the department’s latest news – in particular High Speed – with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Shinkansen and the 10th anniversary of the KTX culminating in the next World Congress on High Speed Rail in Tokyo in 2015, the Merits/Prifis projects to better integrate the networks of the Asia-Pacific region, and the projects put forward by the Department to the region’s members. An Asia-Pacific Passenger Committee has been created and a call for applications officially launched to help reshape these technical Asia-Pacific meetings for 2015.
This meeting will be multicast from 1 June on: