This international conference held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, and jointly organised by UIC and ONCF, will attract decision-makers from all continents involved in the planning and operations of railway stations

Register at www.nextstation2015.com

NEXT STATION 2015, the 5th International Conference on Railway Stations jointly organised by UIC and Moroccan State Railways ONCF under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, will take place from 21 – 22 October 2015 in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco.
Technical visits are planned on 23 October.

After successful editions held in Rome (2005), Paris (2007), Brussels (2011) and Moscow (2013), this important event of the international railway calendar is due to take place for the first time on the African continent. The choice of Marrakech and Morocco was justified by the fact that the development of railway stations – construction of new stations, renovation of existing stations as parts of the national heritage – is a strategic issue for the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also closely connected to the construction and future implementation of high speed rail connections in Morocco. A number of new stations will be dedicated to high speed rail operations (HSR) or to improving intercity and regional services.

The overall theme of the conference: “Rethinking Stations for Future Intermobility”

NEXT STATION 2015 will be dedicated to the theme “Rethinking Stations for Future Intermobility”. This international event will provide a unique opportunity for high-level speakers and panellists to address all strategic issues related to the creation, development and operation of railway stations, such as project development and financing, station management, station and urban planning, the sustainable, eco-friendly railway station, facilities and design, commercial use of station space and services, multimodality and accessibility.

The NEXT STATION programme will include two round tables, eight parallel sessions, a poster exhibition, a professional trade fair open to all partners and suppliers from the station sector, as well as a programme of technical and cultural visits.

The theme of the first round table is: “International cooperation for better intermobility”
The theme of the second round table is: “trends and challenges of the intermobility”

Themes of the parallel sessions

• Development & management of stations: Concepts, business approach, station to hub management, governance, urban integration, etc.
• Comprehensive protection: Management of public space and intermodal security, feeling of security, design impacts, etc.
• Territories: Urban-local integration, urban impact, socio-economic impact, infrastructure financing, multiplicity of actors, intermobility, infrastructure, etc.
• Design 1: Intermodality, capacity, flexibility, flow management, station typology, accessibility, sustainability etc.
• Enhancing client experience: Services, shops, retail, cultural activities, intermodal system performance, accessibility, etc.
• Technologies: Intermodal information, facility management, ticketing, services, security, etc.
• Stations for high speed services: Specific services, traffic trends, flow management, impact on territories, etc.
• Design 2: Intermodality, capacity, flexibility, flow management, station typology, accessibility, sustainability etc.

A poster session will also be held during the conference.

The conference will be held at the Palmeraie Resort in Marrakech. The resort is composed of a congress centre and two hotels, the Palmeraie Palace and the Golf Hotel, which will welcome all the participants.

The NEXT STATION Honorary Committee

The Honorary Committee of the NEXT STATION 2015 International Conference in Marrakech already includes the following prominent persons from Morocco and from the international rail transport sector:

Mr Abdel Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Equipment and Transport, Kingdom of Morocco
Mrs Paulette Mengue M’Owono, Minister of Transport, Republic of Gabon
Mr Abdeslim Bekrate, Wali 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 Acting Chairman, Chairman of UIC Europe
Mr Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director General
Mr Satoshi Seino, Chairman, East Japan Railway Company (EJRC), Chairman UIC Asia-Pacific Region
Mr Ömer Yildiz, President and CEO, Turkish State Railways (TCDD), Chairman of UIC Middle-East Region
Mr Mohammad Khalid Al Suwaiket, President, Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO), UIC Middle-East Vice Chairman
Mr Guilherme Quintella, Brazil, Chairman of UIC Latin American Region
Mr Gaoussou Toure, Ministry of Transport, Republic of Ivory Coast
Mr Mansour Elimane Kane, Minister for Infrastructure and Land Transport, Senegal