The UIC Security Platform Steering Committee meeting this summer was the opportunity for the newly elected Chair, Mr Xavier Roche from SNCF (France), and Vice Chair, Mr Sarvapriya Mayank from the Railway Protection Force of the Indian Railways, to set strategic orientations. During their welcome addresses, they each emphasised the importance of addressing the security of vulnerable rail users, protecting staff from aggressions and encouraging research and innovation in the field of security technologies.

During the meeting, the outcomes from the recent meetings of the working groups, updates from the UIC regions and partners, and the activities undertaken by the UIC Security Division, including the latest news from the ongoing EU (co)funded projects IMPRESS, CYRUS, ODYSSEUS and SafeTravellers, were discussed.

Of note, on 12 June, the Crisis Management Working Group met online to discuss the topic of business continuity. Presentations from PKP S.A. (Poland), Infraestruturas de Portugal, DB A.G. (Germany), Infrabel (Belgium) and ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (Austria), together with a questionnaire, will form the basis for a deliverable on the topic to be produced by the working group.

The Steering Committee meeting was also the opportunity to announce the dates for the 19th UIC World Security Congress, which is being co-organised and co-hosted by SNCF at UIC HQ in Paris, France, on 2-4 December 2024. The theme of this year’s congress is “Railway security between everyday journeys and major events challenges.” We would like to invite all UIC members and partners to save the dates.