UIC and Moroccan National Railways (ONCF) are pleased to announce that NEXT STATION 2015, the 5th International Conference on Railway Stations, will take place in Marrakech on 21 and 22 October 2015 under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
This High Patronage is a sign of the strategic importance of this issue, not only for the Kingdom of Morocco with the development of new railway stations planned in the country in the near future or over the coming years – but also at continental and international level.
Regarding this recognition, Mr Mohamed Rabie Klie said:
It is a great honour for us that this 5th edition of the International Conference of Railway Stations shall take place under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and we are very grateful. It is a sign of the importance that the Monarch unfailingly attaches to the development of infrastructure and transport modes within our country. Rail is part of this strong dynamic and goes hand-in-hand with the policy of supporting large-scale projects that His Majesty the King has followed since he took the throne and which is helping to build the Morocco of the third millennium. For over a decade, stations have made up one of the vital components of this railway revival for Morocco, as landmarks in the heart of our towns and multi-service, multi-functional centres, even social spaces.
Furthermore, this high patronage inspires us to even greater commitment, and in particular will motivate participants from all over the world to ensure that NEXTSTATION 2015 is a huge success, to produce relevant conclusions and even to reinvent mobility for the future of railway stations.
The Honorary Committee of the conference is composed of high-level representatives from the international rail transport sector, prominent persons from Morocco and Ministers of the African region:
- Mr Abdel Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Equipment and Transport, Kingdom of Morocco
- Ms Paulette Mengue M’Owono, Minister of Transport, Republic of Gabon
- Mr Gaoussou Toure, Ministry of Transport, Republic of Ivory Coast
- Mr Mansour Elimane Kane, Minister for Infrastructure and Land Transport, Senegal
- Mr Mamadou Hachim Koumare, Minister in Charge of Equipment and Transports, Mali
- Mr Abdeslim Bekrate, Walli of the Marrakech Area
- Mr Mohammed Rabie Khlie, Director-General, ONCF, Chairman of UIC African Region
- Mr Vladimir Yakunin, President JSC Russian Railways (RZD), UIC Chairman
- Mr Michele Marco Elia, CEO of Italian Railways FS Italiane, UIC Vice Chairman, Chairman of UIC Europe
- Mr Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director General
- Mr Satoshi Seino, Chairman, East Japan Railway Company (EJRC), Chairman of UIC Asia-Pacific Region
- Mr Guilherme Quintella, Brazil, Chairman of UIC Latin American Region
- Mr Mohammad Khalid Al Suwaiket, President, Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO), Vice-Chairman of UIC Middle-East Region
- Mr Ömer Yildiz, President and CEO, Turkish State Railways (TCDD), Chairman of UIC Middle-East Region
Beyond the representation of countries already mentioned in this list and taking part in the Honorary Committee, representatives of other African countries are welcome to participate.
