At the 2025 International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit in Leipzig, the International Union of Railways (UIC) reaffirmed the vital role of rail as a resilient, low-carbon mode of transport. A mode of transport built to last. In an era marked by increasing global disruption and a growing emphasis on system-wide resilience, UIC joined forces with key partners to shine a spotlight on rail’s enduring contribution to sustainable mobility.
The UIC delegation comprised Director General François Davenne; Philippe Lorand, UIC Director of Institutional Relations, Advocacy and Communication; Frédéric Henon, UIC Freight Director; Joo Hyun Ha, UIC Head of Advocacy; and Lucie Anderton, UIC Sustainability Director, who together brought cross-cutting expertise across strategy, resilience, advocacy, and sustainability to the event.
UIC highlights at the summit
UIC Director General François Davenne took part in the ITF Summit’s main programme, contributing to a high-level “fishbowl” dialogue on pandemic-resilient transport. Alongside leaders from Dublin Bus, Airbus, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Urban Catalysts, he emphasised the dual imperatives of resilience and climate mitigation. Reflecting on UIC’s coordination during the COVID-19 crisis, Davenne underscored the importance of international collaboration, integrating health preparedness into operations, and using digital tools to support safe and efficient public transport.
He also participated in the “Ministers’ Roundtable on Transport and Climate Change: Moving Forward from COP29”. Here, he highlighted the fact that increasingly severe and unpredictable climate disasters are straining critical infrastructure, including transport, and that we are entering an era of unplanned crises, with existing systems unprepared to cope. He therefore called for urgent action to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals and build resilience, particularly in the transport sector, through a modal shift to public and active mobility, investing in mature technologies, and a robust carbon compensation market. He also highlighted the importance of centralised crisis management and resilient infrastructure, noting UIC’s Resilient Railways Facing Climate Change (RERA) project as a key initiative.
Strengthening resilience through partnerships and inclusion
UIC also co-hosted the side event “We rely on each other: Building partnerships and transport system resilience” in partnership with the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), World Road Association (PIARC), and Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses (PIANC). The session, chaired by UIC’s Lucie Anderton, brought together multimodal and institutional voices to discuss the interdependence of modes of transport and the need for coordinated approaches to resilience across infrastructure, governance, and emergency preparedness.
UIC also contributed to the ITF in Focus session on “Driving Gender Equality for Resilient Transport”. The discussion highlighted the importance of gender-responsive planning and diverse leadership in building more adaptive and equitable transport systems. Moreover, Joo Hyun Ha, moderated one of the breakout groups on the challenges and opportunities for strengthening resilient transport systems for women as transport workers.
A collaborative rail presence
UIC was proud to take part in Leipzig alongside key rail stakeholders, including the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail), the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), FS Italiane, and ALSTOM. This united presence underscored the sector’s commitment to delivering long-term solutions to global transport challenges.
UIC extends its gratitude to the ITF and its partners for fostering vital dialogue on the future of transport, and looks forward to continuing to work together in shaping rail systems that are not only climate-smart and connected, but truly built to last.
