Text 9: International Railway Organisations

Severe competition from other transport modes made railways establish international railway organisations. Their work is realized within the framework of several institutions.

The UIC or the International Union of Railways was founded in 1922. It promotes cooperation between railways at the world level and carries out activities to develop international rail transport. In order to reach understanding, the UIC has established standard railway terminology and international classification system of locomotives and railway carriages. The Soviet Union was among the founding members of the UIC in 1922. However, the Cold War made the USSR leave the UIC. Nowadays, a special working group has been set up to restart cooperation between JSC Russian Railways and the UIC.

The Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies brings together railway undertakings and infrastructure companies from the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and other states. It promotes modern environmentally friendly modes of rail transport systems.

The Union of the European Railway Industries is responsible for design, manufacture, maintenance and reconstruction of rail transport systems. Besides, there are some other interesting international alliances such as international air rail organisations. They develop, build and operate fast rail air links to passengers.

The European Conference of Ministers of Transport is an intergovernmental organisation established in October 1953. Russia joined the ECMT in 1997 and has been its active member ever since. Russian railways are a vital link for Eurasia from East to West, and North to South.

The Coordinating Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation (CCTT) is a non-commercial transport association. Its main purpose is to attract transit cargo to the Trans-Siberian route. Much work of Russian Railways takes place within the framework of the Organisation for Cooperation of Railway Lines (OSLD). Its main aim is to develop international transcontinental freight and passenger transport, and to create a common rail transport space in Eurasia.

Questions for discussion:

1. What made railways establish international railway organisations?

2. What did the UIC work out?

3. What does the UIC promote?

4. What does the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies promote?

5. What does the International Rail Transport Committee implement?

6. What are the primary tasks of the Union of the European Railway Industries?

7. What are the international air rail organisations responsible for?

8. When was the European Conference of Ministers of Transport established?

9. Why are Russian railways important for Europe and Asia?

10. What is the main aim of OSLD?

Text 10: The Community of European Railways

The Community of European Railways is the leading European railway organisation and a part of the International Union of Railways. It was founded in 1988 with 12 members and now brings together 72 railway undertakings and infrastructure companies – private and state-owned, large and small.

European Railways recognize that their future depends on the international dimension.

At the international level the railways are relatively free to apply the most appropriate models in the common interest. The development of international train networks is accompanied by recognition of the need to adapt future services to the technological opportunities offered by high speeds and vehicle design and to the principles of service marketing.

The governance structure of CER rests in three main bodies: the General Assembly, the Management Committee and the Assistants Group.

The General Assembly is the decision-making body of CER. All member companies are represented by their chief executive or director general.

The Management Committee prepares the decisions of the General Assembly. It consists of CER Chairman, three Vice-Chairmen and further members elected by the General Assembly. The size of the Management Committee is limited to a maximum of 14 members.

The Assistants Group helps to facilitate the continuous exchange of information between CER and its members. CER members are represented by their international/European affairs managers.

The goals of CER are: 1) to represent the railway’s interests, 2) to aid the development of the railway transportation and policy in the European Union, 3) to develop the partnership between the members of the European Union.

European Railways concentrate their efforts on effective speeds between economic centres, quality control and transit reliability, information systems and modal flexibility.

The development of high-speed lines and technology adds a new dimension to inter-urban opportunities for railway development. Nowadays European high-speed lines link economical centers and open opportunities for technological development of railway signaling, train construction and trading all over the world.

Questions for discussion:

1. What is the Community of European Railways?

2. What are the advantages of European Railways` cooperation?

3. What is the development of international train networks accompanied by?

4. What are the governance bodies of CER?

5. What is the decision-making body of CER?

6. What is the role of the Management Committee?

7. What is the Assistants Group responsible for?

8. What are the goals of CER?

9. What do European Railways concentrate their efforts on?

10. Why is the development of high-speed lines important for the future of the railways?

Appendix

№ 1: CURRICULUM VITAE (CV).

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a document which describes your education, work experience and skills you have already had. The purpose of the CV is to attract the employers’ attention. Therefore you need a good and well-structured CV.

A good CV should:

• Attract attention;

• Create a positive impression;

• Present your skills and qualities clearly and concisely.

Your CV has to be word processed and should be no more than one page long. A CV must be free of typographical and grammatical errors. The structure of a CV must follow a certain order. It is common to see the phrase CURRICULUM VITAE written in the centre of the page.

1. Personal data

Personal details should be shown at the beginning: name, family name, date of birth, address, marital status, phone number, e-mail.

2. Education and qualifications

List of educational institutions you attended (specifying the dates); subject areas you studied and degrees you got. List qualifications in full.

3. Work experience

Mention your present job first and work backwards, descriptions of what exactly you did and were responsible for.

4. Relevant Information .

Any information which could be helpful (computer skills, languages you speak, driver’s license, hobbies, interests).

5. Referees

Give at least 2 referees: a former employer, a teacher.

Always be honest. It is possible to be creative, but not to lie. Remember, the first impression is the one that matters, so, your CV needs to be perfect!

№ 2: Sample