The 27th Meeting of the International Union of Railways (UIC), of which TCDD General Manager Ali İhsan Uygun is the Vice President, and the Middle East Regional Board (RAME), of which he is the president, was held on 21.06.2021 by video conference method.
At the meeting, information on RAME activities was given and ideas were exchanged on what can be done to improve cooperation between the countries of the region and to use the railway more actively for regional development. Members' opinions and suggestions were received regarding the updates to be made in RAME's 2022-2023 Action Plan.
General Manager Ali İhsan Uygun made a presentation about the activities of TCDD and informed the members. It was reported by General Manager Ali İhsan Uygun that the certification work of the Ankara-Sivas YHT railway line, which is complementary to the East-West axis of our country, is about to be completed and that a 393 km high-speed railway will be added to the railway infrastructure of our country.
Emphasizing the importance of sustainable railway management, General Manager Uygun stated that TCDD has been working to provide 2023% of the electricity it needs in its infrastructure from renewable sources as of 35. As an important step within the scope of these studies, the pilot solar energy system implemented in İzmir Selçuk was shared with the participants. In addition, it was stated that in the studies carried out in line with the “Zero Waste” targets of TCDD, approximately 25 tons of waste was collected in 110 months, thus saving 1 million m3 of water and 300.000 kWh of energy. Thus, it was emphasized that the environmentally friendly perspective continues not only in railway infrastructure but also in supporting activities.
In the first half of 2021, the activities within RAME, up-to-date information on RAME's budget and financial issues, training activities that can be carried out under the umbrella of RAME, and the development of interregional cooperation were discussed. The meeting, which was held with the video conference method, was beneficial in terms of increasing the cooperation between the countries of the region and determining the steps to be taken in the future for this purpose.
In addition, General Manager Uygun thanked UIC RAME Regional Coordinator Jerzy Wisniewski, who will retire soon, for his efforts and cooperation so far and wished him success for the rest of his life.
To the meeting; UIC General Manager François Davenne, Iranian Railways (RAI) General Manager Saeed Rasouli, Iraqi Railways (IRR) General Manager Talib Jawad Kadhim, Syrian Railways (CFS) General Manager Najib Alfares, Syrian Hejaz Railways (SHR) General Manager Hasanein Mohammad Ali, Afghanistan Railways (ARA) General Manager Wali Khan Shabgeer, UIC RAME Coordinator Jerzy Wisniewski, UIC Middle East Regional Office Director Abbas Nazari, other participants from the Rame Office and UIC.
Be the first to comment