Dr Miklos Kopp, Director of the UIC Freight Department, participated on behalf of UIC at the 26th Conference of OSJD General Directors held from 19 – 20 April in Tallinn, Estonia. Participants consisted of the railways of OSJD member countries, OSJD observers DB and SNCF, affiliated partners such as Rail Cargo Hungary, and international organisations such as UNESCAP, UIC and CCTT.

This 26th Conference provided an opportunity to review the progress and results achieved by all OSJD commissions and working parties.

Dr Miklos Kopp gave a short presentation on the current status of UIC’s organisation and activities by highlighting the fact that UIC is celebrating 90 years of international railway cooperation and service to its members in 2012. He informed members of the main projects and developments in the international rail sector, with focus on wagonload, green logistics, combined traffic, e-Business, infrastructure and freight corridors, interoperability and work to favour the development of the Eurasian land bridge.

He also invited participants to attend the 3rd Global Rail Freight Conference (GRFC) that is currently being prepared by UIC and Moroccan Railways ONCF – following the successful 2nd edition in Saint-Petersburg in 2010 – and is to be held in Tangier from 17 – 19 October 2012. The main theme will be the role of rail freight in the evolution of global logistics systems.