The last two winters have highlighted the weaknesses of rail transport during the winter period. The ensuing economic and social consequences were a severe burden for the railways.
In 2010 UIC was asked by its members to begin a study and bring new solutions and strategic points to study this issue in the short and long-term in order to reduce the impact of snow and cold winter conditions.

As UIC has completed the first part of this work concerning infrastructure, UIC together with Trafikverket are pleased to announce that a seminar “Winter and Railways” will be held in Stockholm on 3 May 2011. The seminar will focus on the winter problems faced by railway infrastructure. Various proposals to mitigate the consequences of the winter period will be presented as well as the study which has identified the root causes and economic consequences of the winter period for railways. Manufacturers and suppliers of switches will be invited to take an active part in the seminar. At the end of the seminar new proposals for improving the performance of switches and crossings during the winter period will be discussed together with the supply industry. The key conclusions of the seminar should feed into work by the supply industry to enhance parts of railway infrastructure.

Anyone interested in participating please consult the following link for the registration form and agenda: http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article2740