UIC Africa, in partnership with ONCF (Morocco) and SNTF (Algeria), held its first training session on rolling stock maintenance online from 29 March to 1 April. Around 120 participants from 14 African railways attended the four-day training course, with sessions led by experts from ONCF, SNTF and UIC.

During his opening speech, Said Chandid, Head of the UIC Africa regional bureau in Morocco, presented the various training courses scheduled for 2021, including a summer training session on safety and security and an autumn session on track maintenance, as well as the African Rail Thursday webinar activities and the African rail strategy 2040.

Thierry Béra, UIC CFO and UIC Africa Coordinator, presented an overview of UIC, explaining its governance, purpose, and focus areas for global cooperation and synergies.

The final training session was hosted by Marc Guigon, UIC Passenger Director and Covid-19 Taskforce Coordinator, who presented the “new normal” following post-Covid recovery, outlining trends and consequences for transport and the economy with a particular focus on rolling stock and the future context for 2030-2050.