The International Union of Wagon Keepers (UIP), the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA) and the International Union of Railways (UIC) are holding a joint webinar on the recent changes made to the General Contract for the Use of Wagons (GCU) for 2026. The event aims to clarify the vision behind the new integration with ECM regulations and help maintain open dialogue, ensuring a smooth transition for all members.
On 2 February 2026, the UIP, ERFA and UIC will hold an exclusive and unprecedented joint webinar on the recent changes and amendments made during 2025 to establish a new version of the GCU for 2026, focusing on those changes intended to align the GCU with the ECM regulation.
The General Contract for the Use of Wagons (GCU; AVV in German and CUU in French) is a multilateral contract based on the international convention COTIF 1999 and Annex CUV. The GCU specifies the mutual rights and obligations of Wagon Keepers (K) and Railway Undertakings (RU) with regard to the use of rail freight wagons as a means of transport throughout Europe and beyond. Since its inception in July 2006, the GCU has grown into an impressive network of more than 833 signatories in 20 different countries, with around 563,143 wagons currently declared.
Recently, the GCU has undergone one of its largest and most important modifications, as a result of a proposal developed and agreed jointly by various expert members of the three associations responsible for governing the GCU (UIP, ERFA and UIC) to harmonise the GCU with EU regulations on the maintenance of railway vehicles, in particular Regulation (EU) 2019/779 on entities in charge of maintenance (ECM).
The amendments focus on clarifying the roles and responsibilities surrounding two key concepts established by the regulation: “release to service” (RTS) i.e. confirmation that maintenance has been completed as requested; and “return to operation” (RTO), which consists of notification that the wagon is safe to return to operation, possibly with restrictions on use depending on the case. This has involved updating Articles 7, 12, 15 and 19 of the GCU, as well as Appendix 2 (definitions), to ensure legal certainty and operational clarity. In terms of the process, clarifications have been added to the contract regarding the conditions that define the issuance of the respective authorisation for release to service (RTS) and return to operation (RTO).
The overall objective of these modifications is to ensure safety, efficiency and regulatory compliance when it comes to the maintenance and operation of wagons.
Programme:
- 13:30 – Welcome and introduction of speakers
- 13:40 – Context and background
- 14:00 – Changes to the GCU for 2026
- 15:40 – Outcome of legal and risk assessments of the changes
- 16:00 – Q&A
- 16:25 – Conclusion and further development
Link for registration: https://gcubureau.org/.