On 16 June 2025, the International Union of Railways (UIC) joined the Conference on Rail Resilience to Climate Change, hosted by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). With the support of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the Polish Office of Rail Transport (UTK), ERA and the European Commission presented the preliminary findings of ERA’s study on the impact of impact of climate change on rail infrastructure.
Held under the overarching theme of strengthening European railway resilience, the conference brought together key stakeholders from across the sector to address emerging challenges and explore joint solutions. UIC and its members contributed to the discussions as invited speakers, with a range of European UIC members participating, including the National Railways of France (SNCF), the German Railways (DB), the Polish State Railways (PKP), the Italian State Railways (FS), the Spanish National Infrastructure Manager (ADIF) and Network Rail.
The core themes dealt with during the conference included funding mechanisms, real-time monitoring, data sharing and governance, and methods to quantify resilience. These topics underline the growing need for a coordinated, data-driven approach to ensuring the robustness of railway operations in the face of disruptions, whether environmental, technical or geopolitical.
UIC’s presentation highlighted its current activities in coordinating the Resilient Railways facing Climate Change (RERA) Hub, with the main railway operators in Europe and on other continents participating in a working group to develop these concepts. UIC then highlighted the RERA Rain and RERA Temp reports, published in March 2025. Moreover, the conclusions were considered enlightening and attracted the attention of the audience.
Aligning with the organisation’s mission to foster a safer, more sustainable, and interconnected global rail system, UIC remains committed to supporting ERA and all stakeholders in shaping a resilient future for rail transport in Europe and beyond as railway networks continue to evolve.
