Commuter and Regional Train Services - Training

General context

Comprising more than 80% of total railway passengers, commuter and regional rail serves as a backbone for local public transport in many countries around the world. It plays an important role in transport and mobility policies, serving a large proportion of the urban and regional population while presenting an eco-friendly alternative to the use of private vehicles and reducing both pollution and congestion, combining the flexibility of urban transport and the resilience, capacity and efficiency of conventional rail. Nevertheless, there is much room for improvement in the areas of financing, implementation and operation of CRT. Mostly operated under public service obligations and often sharing the infrastructure of conventional rail, this transport segment requires better coordination between the various stakeholders to achieve its true potential.

Commuter and Regional Train Services (CRTS)

CRTS may be seen as a worldwide project that can help operators and infrastructure managers to provide a better service and offers a response to multiple urban and regional mobility challenges:

• Satisfying increasing mobility demand in urban and suburban areas
• Presenting rail as an efficient and sustainable alternative to motor transport and a tool for regional development and management
• Promoting multimodality as the key to an integrated transport system

Strategic objectives

• Create and safeguard professional exchange among UIC members relating to the operation of suburban and regional passenger rail systems
• Disseminate practical solutions on how to respond to a given problem in the most cost-effective manner
• Address the interfaces between legal requirements and the practical management and delivery of suburban and regional passenger rail systems
• Obtain an overview of and insight into existing forms of financing between public authorities, private investors, client bodies and railway undertakings

Training on CRTS

The training programme aims to examine all constituent elements and various types of Commuter and Regional Train Services (CRTS) around the world and to measure their impact impartially and objectively from political, social, and economic standpoints.

This year, we’ve expanded our training across two continents: Join us for the 9th Training in Barcelona, Spain, this October, or attend our inaugural session in Johannesburg, South Africa, in May.

• Register for Barcelona, Spain
• Register for Johannesburg, South Africa

Learn more about the UIC Rail Academy catalogue here.

What we offer:

• Regular workshops on topics related to Commuter and Regional Services topics.
• Continuous support to UIC members in implementing new solutions to improve CX.
• The training would also be a tool to generate know-how, to enhance the international network on this issue.

For further information on our upcoming workshop, and to register, see below:

• CRTS Workshop (10/06/2025): Management during big events
• CRTS Workshop (16/01/2026): Cleaning Protocols for Railway Services

Handbook

Commuter and Regional Train Services Handbook

November 2021

View on shop.uic.org Description

Mobility is increasing dramatically in urban and suburban areas (54% population lives in urban areas). Comprising more than 80% of total railway passengers and 50% of passenger kilometres, commuter and regional rail serves as a backbone for local public transport in many countries around the world.

It plays an important role in transport and mobility policies, serving a large proportion of the urban and regional population while presenting an eco-friendly alternative to the use of private vehicles and reducing both pollution and congestion, combining the flexibility of urban transport and the resilience, capacity and efficiency of conventional rail.

Nevertheless, there is much room for improvement in the areas of financing, implementation and operation of CRT (Commuter and Regional Tran Services). Mostly operated under public service obligations and often sharing the infrastructure of conventional rail, this transport segment requires better coordination between the various stakeholders to achieve its true potential.