The General Assembly of the Agreement on freight Train Transfer Inspections (ATTI) Special Group was held online on 3 June 2025. The agreement’s aim is to facilitate seamless cross-border quality controls to increase efficiency in freight transport.
The meeting began with a warm welcome from Dirk Euler from the German Federal Railways (DB) Cargo, Chair of the ATTI Special Group, who presented the agenda. Next, Philip Van den Bosch, UIC Freight Department, then spoke on behalf of François Davenne, UIC Director General, and Frédéric Henon, UIC Freight Director.
“In today’s unstable world, initiatives like ATTI are increasingly vital”, Van den Bosch stated. “It’s growing membership shows there is a clear demand for this kind of coordination. UIC remains committed to supporting ATTI as harmonisation remains a cornerstone of efficient freight operations. As the sector looks toward transformation, particularly with the introduction of Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC), ATTI will play a crucial role. It has matured into a flagship product of UIC, proving that our sector can be both inclusive and innovative. Nevertheless, there is still room for development, particularly in leveraging data for added value. Legislative initiatives can be supported through greater involvement, and we express our sincere appreciation for the ongoing work”.
The event, coordinated by Paulo de Freitas, UIC Senior Freight Advisor, was hosted by the ATTI Executive Committee members Alain Voltz, HEXAFRET; Thomas Dangl, Rail Cargo Austria; Fabiola Stori, Rail Traction Company; Jan Kavřík, ČD Cargo, a.s; and Euler, as the Chair of the group, who moderated the General Assembly.
Guest presentations included:
- Stefan Zebracki, DB Cargo, former Chair of the ATTI Group and member of the Technical Transfer Inspection Expert Working Group, who discussed the reform of Appendix 9 to the General Contract of Use for Wagons (GCU), and proposed solutions for further development.
- Christian Kühnast, DB Cargo, member of the GCU Joint Committee, who spoke on the broader development of the GCU and its effects on ATTI.
De Freitas then provided an overview of the new Railway Undertakings (RUs) who had joined ATTI and highlighted a continuing upward trend in membership, reaching 197 members since the last General Assembly.
Three proposals were presented, voted on, and approved:
1. Strategy Development – Presented by Euler, this outlines the envisioned development of ATTI over the next 1, 3, and 5 years, with key focus areas and an overview of the activity status.
2. Internal Regulations Point 10.2 – Presented by De Freitas, this clarifies the invoicing process to align more closely with the UIC procedure.
3. Appendix 2 Quality Guidelines, Annex 2 – Put forward by Euler, this revision recommends the standardised use of the international brake sheet and wagon list (IRS 40472) for all ATTI RUs.
A fourth proposal, concerning Appendix 3 (Templates for a uniform Irregularity Report), was introduced by Thomas Dangl. A final decision on this will be communicated at a later date, due to the close results.
DB Cargo France, represented by Gaël Castagne, was approved for a seat on the Executive Committee for the next two years. The next agenda item saw De Freitas presenting the final accounts for 2024, the provisional 2025 budget, and a forecast for 2026. The budget for the 2024–2026 period was formally approved.
Then, Dirk Euler presented an overview of the ATTI Quality Management System (QMS) database, noting a rise in data being input. He highlighted ATTI responsibilities and communication, pointing out that many members have not yet submitted planning data for 2025, which is required in the ATTI RU exchange. He also reported on the quality of ATTI trains, including Technical Transfer Inspection (TTI) trends in 2024 with gradual improvements since 2018, as well as the performance for Operations and RID in 2024.
Euler and Dangl also provided clarifications on ATTI Article 6.1, regarding train non-acceptance, and its relationship to the GCU. Recommendations and the application of ATTI were discussed.
Additionally, Dangl and Kavřík gave an overview of the editorial revisions to the ATTI Agreement, which aim to ensure consistency and improve clarity in the document.
To conclude, Euler encouraged all of the participants to complete the post-event feedback survey and announced that the next ATTI General Assembly will take place with a provisional date of 9 June 2026.
