Passenger


Cooperation and best-practice exchange are important drivers for the promotion of passenger rail as the "green" and customer-friendly mode of transport for the future.

Passenger railway accounts for 50% of rail activity, 8% of global passenger transport and less than 2% of greenhouse gas emissions from passenger transport, and is believed to be the backbone of future mobility.

General context of the business activity

With the emergence of new technologies, changes in customer behaviour and choices regarding mobility, and the development of competition in the rail sector, railway undertakings and infrastructure managers are shifting towards a more customercentred approach when providing services, investing in innovation and research to offer more personalised and seamless journeys.

Against this background, the UIC Passenger Department acts as a lever to transform the railway business by offering sectoral technical solutions (IRS), opportunities for knowledge exchange, networking platforms and tools, and support for the whole rail sector: railway undertakings and infrastructure managers, but also decision makers, research centres, universities or Ticket Vendors, for all aspects related to rail passenger transport.

Reference to how the business is organised

UIC’s passenger activity is inspired by the involvement of its members in the Passenger Global Forum, led by Manel Villalante I Llauradó (Renfe).The forum is subdivided into five areas of activity:

And a special group:

  • RIC/A (Agreements on the exchange and use of passenger cars and self-propelled units in international rail traffic)

Global Passenger Forum

The UIC Global Passenger Forum was set up so that members all over the world could jointly adopt a global approach to UIC Passenger activity, encompassing the five passenger sectors (Intercity and High-Speed, Commuter and Regional Trains, Stations, Passenger Services Group and TopRail) and relevant projects, and discuss and set common priorities, strategies and directives, eventually to be coordinated with other forums and platforms where appropriate.

The purpose of the UIC Global Passenger Forum is to:

High-Level Passenger Meeting

The High-Level Passenger Meeting (HLPM), co-organised by UIC and CER, is an event
aimed at European Passenger CEOs to discuss strategic topics relating to the challenges faced by the European railways.

This meeting brings top managers from Passenger railway companies across Europe together for discussions on important rail passenger transport policy issues.
The purpose of this meeting is to review key questions about European railway passenger policy, and to address the technical and political challenges facing passenger transport in the future.

During the last HLPM on 2 October 2020, the focus was on the development of the OSDM (Open Sales and Distribution Model), as per the resolution from the previous HLPM. One standard had been developed, comprising two parts: OSDM Platform and OSDM Online. Other topics were also discussed, such as support for companies during the Covid-19 pandemic, the start of the International Rail Passenger Platform, and the opportunities for flight substitution via rail in Europe.

The next HLPM will be held on 8 October 2021 in Paris, and Passenger CEOs will discuss strategic subjects, including distribution, the ‘New Normal’ and new services.

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Tuesday 13 October 2020