On 11 and 12 October, the CIT workshop “Waste management and challenges for the rail sector”, was held in Bern, Switzerland. UIC presented its current roles in the transport of waste by rail, and the areas in which solutions can be incorporated into existing IRSs and guidelines. The workshop was a response to initial discussion within the UIC Dangerous Goods Expert Group regarding issues with this sort of transport.

The workshop showed that a complex governance/regulatory structure exists and that there are a broad range of practical issues which hamper rail waste transport. For example, current legislation is not particularly well adapted to rail transport, which puts rail at a disadvantage as waste is often transported using several modes. In a context where the EU wishes to encourage the free exchange of waste products within the Union to support a circular economy, the volume of waste to be transported will increase, as will the distances.

It is therefore increasingly important that issues which put the railways at a disadvantage are solved, either via railway-owned products from CIT and UIC, or through improved harmonisation between international legal frameworks.

The two organisations are closely working together and with their members to analyse the problem and subsequently create an action plan for the sector. The next ad hoc Waste Expert Group workshop will be held on 30 January 2024.