Following a successful series of regional webinars, UIC Asia-Pacific region held its fourth session of the 2025 Web Meeting Series on 18 September 2025, focusing on essential UIC publications and tools available to members. The session was designed to foster greater engagement in UIC initiatives and help members to maximise their membership benefits.
The meeting brought members together to explore the digital ecosystem of UIC, which is critical for international collaboration, improving efficiency and providing robust information support.
Philippe Lorand, Director of Institutional Relations, Advocacy and Communication & Coordinator Asia-Pacific region, officially opened the session. He extended a warm welcome to new and existing members and their representatives. Mr Lorand emphasised the session’s core goal: to familiarise member participants with UIC’s digital resources and platforms to ensure they maximise the benefits of their UIC membership. He also provided an update on the implementation of the dynamic Asia-Pacific regional strategy, which defines three development axes and supports regional projects.
The session then transitioned into a comprehensive guide to UIC’s resources, designed to enhance member collaboration and strategic planning, with each presentation focusing on a different pillar of the UIC digital ecosystem.
UIC key publications
Marie Plaud-Lombard, UIC Director of Communications, detailed the value of core UIC publications, which she called “essential tools to better understand who we are, how we work and where we are heading”. She highlighted the UIC Activity Report, which summarises annual highlights and positions rail as the “backbone of tomorrow’s transport system”, including work on the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). She also presented the Work Programme 2023-2025, which represents the strategic roadmap for the organisation, and the Activity Booklet, which maps the governance and concrete work of the 131 UIC working groups and serves as a global hub for knowledge. Finally, she highlighted the weekly UIC eNews, which provides concise updates on projects and events to its thousands of readers.
UIC tools for members
- Chrystal Vavoulidis, UIC Web Content Manager, demonstrated the functionality of the UIC Extranet, describing it as the primary members-only platform. She guided participants through accessing the Members Area, which houses key documents, and explained how to use the Notifications feature to prioritise updates from various working groups. She clarified the different user roles (Reader, Editor, Admin) and detailed the process for members to request access to the groups most relevant to their work, thereby ensuring they can find and utilise all necessary documents and files.
- Alice Favre, Head of Statistics, provided an overview of the UIC Statistics Platform, demonstrating how members can leverage this wealth of railway data for analysis and strategic decision-making. She outlined the types of data available and explained the process of data collection, emphasising the importance of member contributions for maintaining the platform’s utility and accuracy as a central data repository for the global rail sector.
- Mouna Benounna, Head of Planning and Production, showcased resources for technical documentation. She covered the ETF Shop as the official source for purchasing crucial railway technical publications. Furthermore, she detailed the Standardisation IRS (International Railway Solution) Database, explaining its function as the repository for standardised technical solutions that promote global interoperability and efficiency across the railway industry. The speakers collectively stressed that these platforms are fundamental tools to strengthen the global railway community and showcase collective progress.
The meeting concluded with an engaging Q&A session that fostered meaningful dialogue between UIC experts and Asia-Pacific members regarding the optimal utilisation of digital resources.
In his closing remarks, Mr Lorand emphasised that the primary objective of this series is to empower members to fully leverage the benefits of their UIC membership. He strongly encouraged all participants to maintain active engagement with the UIC community and to make regular use of the valuable publications and platforms presented during the session, as these resources have been specifically developed to support members’ professional needs and organisational goals.
The APRA Web Series 2025 will continue its focus on key UIC departments, with the next session dedicated to environmental topics:
- Next session: Sustainability Unit
- Date: 10 October 2025
- Programme: UIC Asia-Pacific Web Meeting with Sustainability Unit
For a comprehensive overview of the entire APRA Web Series 2025 programme, please visit the dedicated web page: https://uic.org/events/uic-asia-pacific-web-meeting-series-2025
