UIC Regional Assembly Middle-East (RAME) Action Plan 2011 / 2012 Draft 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010 Paul Véron, Director, UIC Coordinator for the Middle-East

Working themes 1) UIC Middle-East Regional Office in Tehran Activities (Permanent activity) Activities Implementation of Programme of Work for the Office  (approved at 7th RAME meeting, May 2010) Preparation and follow-up of RAME meetings / decisions   Follow-up of RAME Action Plan, progress reports, communications Consolidation of RAME community, extension to new members Preparation of agreements / MoUs with international / regional organisations (ECO, UNESCWA, UNESCAP, Regional banks,..) Centralised lists of RAME experts in technical issues (in connection with technical workshops) Organisational support for RAME conferences / seminars / workshops Responsible Team of UIC ME Regional Office at RAI HQ, led by Mr. Abbas Nazari.   In close cooperation with RAME Members and UIC HQ Estimated budget for 2011: 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Working themes 2) Vision and perspectives for an integrated Rail Transport System in the Middle-East Gaining support from governments, international organisations, financial institutions, investors   Concluding agreements / MoUs Activities   High-level Conference under the theme “Towards a competitive, interconnected Rail transport System – Projects and Perspectives in the Middle-East”, targeted at decision-makers from Policy, Economy, Finance, International Institutions, Business and Trade Organisation in Turkey, Spring 2011 Preparation in partnership with International Organisations: ECO, UNECE, UNESCAP, UNESCWA, OTIF, EIB, IDB,.. Responsible   RAME Members motivate Ministers and high-level participants, heads of Regional Organisations UIC invites International Institutions (UNECE, EU, EIB, OTIF…) Organising Committee: TCDD with UIC, liaison with ME Regional Office 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Working themes 3) Investors Forum Activities Responsible Encouraging new business opportunities with a diversity of stakeholders (ports, shipping lines, intermodal operators,..) Attracting new investors into railway financing (World bank, regional banks, private investors) Encouraging new forms of partnerships, joint ventures. Activities   A RAME Investors Forum in a Middle-East country (Dubai? A Gulf State?) in 2011 or 2012? Principle to be approved. Location to be found. Responsible UIC RAME Regional Office in liaison with host railway / country, UIC and all RAME Members Estimated cost 2011 or 2012: 50,000 Euros 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Working Theme 4: Technical cooperation issues 4.1 Railway Safety Developing a Safety database for the Middle-East According to methodology experienced by UIC Members Supporting RAME Members in their efforts to develop a Safety Management System (SMS) Activities 1st UIC / RAI Seminar on Railway Safety (January 2008, Tehran) 2nd UIC RAME Educational Seminar on Railway Safety (4-5 May 2010, Tehran) Exchange on methodology for database and SMS development Designation of RAME safety experts (as permanent contact with UIC Safety Unit) Preparation by UIC of a collection of methodologies presented during the seminar (CD-ROM) Dissemination to all Middle-Eastern Railways Further work on RAME Safety Database in synergy with UIC Safety Database (RAME Safety experts WG) Responsible RAME Regional Office with technical support from UIC HQ / Safety Unit 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Working Theme 4: Technical cooperation issues 4.2 Infrastructure Maintenance – Asset Management System Developing exchanges and benchmarking on best practices in Rail infrastructure management   Disseminating information on methodologies and UIC project results in the field of Infrastructure maintenance and Infrastructure asset management Lowering Infrastructure costs in construction, operations, maintenance, renewal. Activities   1st UIC RAME Seminar on “Infrastructure Maintenance – Asset Management” held on 19-20 September 2010 in Amman, Jordan, at the invitation of Aqaba Railways (ARC) Participants from Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Italy. Follow up - Next steps: Dissemination of all information presented during the seminar. CD-Rom (digipack) prepared by UIC for dissemination to all RAME Members Invitation to Middle-Eastern Railways to participate to UIC’s technical activities (Rail System Forum, presentations on INNOTRACK,..) Starting a specific technical project for RAME Railways with extreme conditions (desert, temperature). Project submitted in RAME Meeting by Eng. Hussein Krishan, Director General of ARC, technical support from UIC Responsible Working Group of RAME experts   Coordination by ME Regional Office Technical support by UIC (Rail System Department) 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Working Theme 4: Technical cooperation issues 4.3 Railway construction, Operations and Maintenance in Desert and extreme Conditions Promoting benchmark and exchange of experience and best practises Optimising Safety of rail Operations and Reducing maintenance costs (in connexion with Desert conditions, sand, temperature,..) Preparation of a UIC Guideline (best practises, recommendations...) by “Desert Working Group” for general use by UIC Members Activities   1st UIC / RAI Technical Workshop on Desert Conditions  (January 2008, Tehran) All presentations of this Tehran workshop available on CD-Rom (digipack) produced by UIC Proposal for a new project to be submitted to RAME assembly by Eng. Hussein Krishan, Director General of Aqaba Railway ARC Responsible Follow-up by RAME Regional Office   Contributions from all RAME Members Technical support from UIC HQ (Rail System Department) Ideally a multi-regional project Budget estimation: 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Working Theme 4: Technical cooperation issues 4.4 International « Oil Rail » Project Promoting international transport of Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products by Rail New activity with a regional and multi-regional scope Activities   1st International Rail Oil Conference in Spring 2011 (to be confirmed) Proposal by Niroo Rail, Iran Sessions / Workshops dedicated to all issues of Oil and Gas transportation: Technology, Operations and Safety, Marketing, Commercial agreements, Regulations,.. Importance of ensuring participation from experienced countries (Oil and Gas producers), typically a multi-regional dimension Objective of developing a specific UIC project (Leaflet?) for general use by UIC members. Project in UIC Freight Department Responsible Niroo Rail as a promoter, UIC RAME Regional Office, all UIC Members for the content (Middle-East, Asia, Russia Estimated budget in 2011: 93,000 Euros (possibly a multiregional project) Possibility of sponsorships (oil companies,..) 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Working Theme 4: Technical cooperation issues 4.5 Security Experts Group   Developing international exchange, cooperation and partnerships on all issues related to railway security: Security of passengers and goods Security of train operations and infrastructures Fighting terrorism, vandalism Activities   Meeting of RAME Rail Security Experts prior to UIC World Security Congress (Istanbul, 22 June 2010) Exchange on priorities of the ME Railways in Security issues.  Proposals: For ME Railways to be more closely involved in activities of UIC Security Platform (a global working body) To consider whether there is a need for a specific WG on Security issues in the ME. Possibility of multi-regional project (e.g. with Asia), (integrated in Security Platform or with technical support of Security Platform). Responsible Regional Office in liaison with Security Experts of RAME Railways   Support by UIC Security Platform   8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Working themes 5) Developing Expertise – Training and education Activities   Developing and educational programme / training activities specifically targeted at the needs of the Middle East railways New project: Network of Rail Training Centres (participation of ME training centres?) Responsible International Railway Academy, Tehran With technical support  from UIC HQ (Nathalie Amirault, Expertise Development Division), Meryem Belhaj (Safety Division, Human Factors) Estimated cost for 2011: ? 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Working themes 6) Communications Activities Responsible Developing the exchange of relevant information within the Middle-East railways community Promoting the activities of the UIC RAME Promoting internationally projects and strategies of the individual Middle-East railway companies Activities   Reporting on RAME activities through new UIC website www.uic.org (Space dedicated to Middle-East Region, link with website of Regional Office), press releases, dissemination of information on conferences, seminars (CD,..) Regular Service of business news (Esmerk service) specifically created for the Middle-East railways Responsible RAME Regional office with UIC HQ (Communications Department) and RAME railways’ support Estimated cost for 2011: 20,000 Euros 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010

Thank you for your kind attention Paul Véron, Director, UIC Coordinator for the Middle-East 8th RAME Meeting, Istanbul, 23 November 2010