Technical harmonisation of the railway system - A core objective of UIC
UIC has been an SSO (standards setting organisation) since its creation in 1922, and technical harmonisation of the railway system remains one of its core objectives. Its members — the operators of the world’s railways — have, over the years, developed the “UIC code” comprising UIC leaflets, which define common rules to ensure safety and efficiency in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the railway system. Many of these rules are also applied outside the railway operating community.
Rail transport is about offering an attractive product to the customer which they choose to use as their land transport mode of choice. It is also about technical harmonisation and compatibility:
For rail traffic operations to be safe and compatible, it makes common sense that they adhere to standardised rules based on technical harmonisation.
Technical harmonisation enables connections to be made between railway lines and, on a larger scale, between railway networks – thus enabling intercontinental corridors to link several continents by rail.
