The Rail System Forum (RSF) is a global working body responsible for all matters relating to the railway system, i.e. operations, control-command systems and telecom, asset management, railway digital modelling, the infrastructure subsystem, interfaces and interactions between the infrastructure subsystem and rolling stock, rolling stock, energy, and other railway business-related topics.

The RSF is responsible for introducing appropriate measures aimed at enabling efficient international cooperation in railway system activities.

The main aims of the RSF are to:

Provide a three-year strategic vision and a multi-annual work programme and financial framework, for its activities;
Approve UIC’s technical documents relating to the RSF’s area of work;
Identify topics of common interest and activities to be implemented in order to provide more effective solutions and added value for UIC members.

The RSF’s strategic objectives were updated on 25 April 2024. They support UIC’s “Vision 2023”. This is why the RSF integrates, in a systemic approach, legacy and major technical breakthroughs through its eight multiannual Sector work programmes, based on capacity, quality of service and continuous improvement of railway services, innovation, standardisation, and training.

Consequently, the RSF focuses on:

Capacity: traffic control centres and crisis management, and automation;
Quality of service and continuous improvement of railway services: operations, safety, predictive maintenance and reduction of railway noise;
Innovation: FRMCS specifications, reduction of energy consumption and emissions, lighter trains, resilience of railway infrastructure and rolling stock to climate change, railway digital modelling, operational rules adapted to market uptake, dissemination, benchmarking, and participation in Europe’s Rail (System Pillar and Innovation Pillar);
Standardisation: establishment and implementation of the UIC strategy, and securing UIC’s role as the global reference for operational publications: IRS, Guidelines, Leaflets, etc.
Training: development of a comprehensive and global training programme.

As well as the activities of its eight Sectors (see pages 14 to 18), the RSF is responsible for the following cross-functional activities:

Monitoring from a system point of view the TSI revision process;
Drafting and revising around 70% of the UIC IRSs.

In addition, the Rail System Department manages two special groups for innovation and research:

The European-level Research and Innovation Coordination Group (RICG);
The global-level International Railway Research Board (IRRB) and Regional Competence Hubs (RCH).

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