On 9 and 10 April 2026, UIC hosted a series of key high-speed rail meetings at its Paris headquarters, bringing together experts, researchers, and members of the global high-speed community. The programme comprised three sessions: the High-Speed International Railway Solution (IRS) Working Group and the ICHSC Plenary Session on 9 April, followed by the Alliance of Universities for High-Speed Rail (AUHSR) Plenary Session on 10 April.
The meetings provided an opportunity to review progress on ongoing research projects, advance the development of IRSs, strengthen university-industry collaboration, and plan the next steps for the high-speed rail community.
ICHSC Plenary Session
Chaired by Huo Baoshi, China Railway, the ICHSC Plenary gathered UIC members from the high-speed rail sector around the world.
A highlight of the session was the status of the 7th edition of the UIC High-Speed Atlas 2025 (data refers to 2024) being presented, with confirmation that it will soon be published.
The session also warmly welcomed Alto as a new member of the ICHSC, reinforcing the Committee’s international reach and drive. Alto is the organisation behind the Canadian High-Speed Rail Network Project.
Two keynote presentations illustrated the breadth of innovation shaping the sector:
- Filip Janowiec, Cracow University of Technology, presented advanced measurement techniques using fibreoptic sensors for rail and high-speed rail infrastructure monitoring and maintenance – a technology with strong potential for enhancing asset management and safety.
- Prof Thomas Sauter-Servaes, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), presented a cross-European price comparison for trains, flights, and luggage, offering practical insights into multimodal competitiveness and pricing dynamics.
Members also reviewed the progress of the ongoing UIC high-speed rail (HSR) research projects:
- PAS/777 – Liber-Afford: Impact of liberalisation on HSR affordability
- PAS/776 – OptSpeed: Optimum Speed for High-Speed Rail Systems
- PAS/865 – HSTC: High-Speed System Transport Comparison
- PAS/866 – HS-FMI: High-Speed Financial Models for Infrastructure
AUHSR Plenary Session
Chaired by Prof Li Dewei, Beijing Jiaotong University, the AUHSR Plenary Session brought together academic and industry experts to strengthen collaboration between universities and UIC platforms.
Prof Francesca Pagliara, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (UNINA), was also named as AUHSR Vice-Chair. Professor Pagliara is a leading researcher in the field of high-speed rail socioeconomic impacts and brings significant expertise and international recognition to the role. UIC is delighted to have her on board.
The session highlighted strengthened partnerships between AUHSR members and UIC platforms. Within this spirit, the session announced the upcoming 6th International Symposium on High-Speed Rail Socioeconomic Impacts, to be held on 8-9 September 2026 at UNINA in Italy.
The session also featured two opening keynote speeches as part of AUHSR’s regular strategic knowledge and research exchange:
- Zhenhua Chen, Ohio State University, gave a presentation on approaches to evaluating the socioeconomic impact of high-speed rail systems, offering methodological insights applicable across national contexts.
- Filip Janowiec, Cracow University of Technology, detailed the evolution of railway education in Poland, on the occasion of its 80th anniversary, connecting historical development with future training needs.
High-Speed IRS Working Group Meeting
The High-Speed IRS Working Group meeting was jointly chaired by Eduardo Romo, Caminos de Hierro Foundation (FCH), and Huo Baoshi, China Railway. The session made progress on the Working Group’s standardisation programme, which now counts 14 IRS documents covering the full high-speed rail lifecycle.
Members reviewed and confirmed the IRS programme roadmap for the 2026-2028 period, setting a clear trajectory for the development and update of IRS guidelines in the years ahead.
Updates were also provided on IRS 70734, dedicated to the adaptation of safety installations to high-speed requirements, which has been completed and its publication is upcoming. This constitutes a notable achievement reflecting the Working Group’s sustained technical effort.
The session also dedicated a substantive portion of time to the ongoing technical review of IRS 60673: Implementation of High-Speed Railway (Design Phase).
Looking ahead
The Paris meetings concluded with a clear sense of shared momentum throughout the three sessions. The next ICHSC conferences are planned for 11-12 June in Rome, hosted by Italian State Railways (FSI/Trenitalia), reflecting the important role of Italy in the global high-speed rail landscape.
The two-day event concluded with closing remarks from Michele Gesualdi and Bertrand Minary. UIC, who warmly thanked all of the participants for their contributions and invited the members to the next series of conferences in 2026.
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