International Union of Railways

The International Union of Railways ( UIC) (French: Union internationale des chemins de fer, Eng. International Union of Railways ), headquartered in Paris was founded on October 17, 1922 with the aim to unify the railway operating conditions. UIC is the global organization for the cooperation of the railroads, and their actions extend to all the development of rail transport sectors concerned.

The UIC is the working body of the State Treaty on the Technical Unity of Railways (TE ) of 16 May 1886. This international treaty was not designed as a permanent institution, but laid the foundations for the uniformity in the cross-border rail traffic. At the TE are only involved in several European countries, while the UIC is a worldwide railway association.

On January 1, 1982, the bodies of the RIC and RIV study were incorporated into the UIC.

In September 2013, the UIC had 207 members. These include railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and operators who carry out complementary activities.

The former CEO of Deutsche Bahn AG, Hartmut Mehdorn, was elected on 31 January 2007 President of the European UIC Regional Assembly. He received all the votes the Chairperson approximately 50 present and Directors General of the European railway companies, which are organized in the world governing body.

From the UIC are different numbering systems such as the UIC series scheme for locomotives, the UIC type designation system for passenger cars, the UIC car numbers, the UIC country code and the Harmonized Commodity Code for Goods in transit ( NHM ), has been created.

The UIC publishes leaflets ( UIC Code ) and other publications. The standard freight car types are tabulated in the articles on open wagons, boxcars, refrigerator cars and flat cars.

The Euro -Interlocking project of the UIC developed an international standard for project planning of railway interlocking systems.