Cooperation agreed between UIC and Shift2Rail to boost use of innovative solutions

The signature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking (S2R JU) and the International Union of Railways (UIC) took place at the UIC General Assembly on Thursday 8 July 2021.

The objective of the MoU is to promote cooperation between UIC and the S2R JU to support the structured implementation of Shift2Rail’s innovative solutions, and to deliver a functional system approach that is suited to the operational needs of the sector and, in particular, the final users.

Carlo Borghini, Executive Director of Shift2Rail, said: “This agreement between our two organisations is very important for us, as it strengthens our ongoing collaboration and paves the way for deeper cooperation. The objective is to boost the competitiveness of the railway sector by accelerating the market uptake of innovative solutions and enhancing the economic benefits. Two excellent examples of our cooperation are the ongoing work on telecommunications and standardisation of Future Railway Mobile Communication Systems (FRMCS), and the support for a railway system data modelling.”

Commenting on the new agreement, the UIC’s Director General, François Davenne, said: “Improving and deepening our collaboration with S2R is a key milestone for the UIC. Our members are more and more implied in delivering together within S2R JU a shared vision of the railway system of the future, both in terms of general architecture and of specific innovations. The UIC as the technical body of the sector is the forum where our members are joining forces on key subjects such as telecoms, ticketing, digital platforms, etc. Close collaboration with S2R will help to ascertain that railways are ready for delivering the zero emission backbone of mobility that our citizens desire.”

This strengthened collaboration between Shift2Rail and the UIC will ensure Shift2Rail’s innovative solutions meet the operational requirements of the rail sector, while also satisfying the needs of end users.