The annual meeting of the OSJD Commission on Infrastructure and Rolling Stock, that took place at the OSJD Committee premises (Warsaw) with the use of the videoconference mode on 9-10 November 2020, summed up the working results of the Commission in the reporting period and considered the objectives and plans for the following period.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of the AZD CJSC, BC, NC “ZI”, MAV CJSC, NC “KTZ” JSC, “LTG Infra” JSC, CFM, PKP JSC, RZD JSC, ZSR, CFR JSC, Ukrzaliznytsia JSC (UZ), CD JSC; OSJD affiliated enterprise Betamont LLC as well as international organisations, including OTIF, UIC and OSJD Committee.

The meeting was opened by Miroslaw Antonowicz who addressed the meeting participants in his new qualification of the Chairman of OSJD Committee and wished them every success in their work in such a difficult time under global pandemic conditions.

Atilla Kiss, Secretary of the OSJD Committee, informed the meeting participants on the decisions taken at meeting XXXV of the Conference of General Directors (Authorized Representatives) of OSJD Railways that was held in a videoconference mode of on 14-16 September 2020.

Under the agenda, the meeting discussed the results of the expert meetings on the subjects as follows:

- “Rolling stock gauges in international traffic in view of interoperability requirements”;

- “Railway track and engineering structures”;

- “Signaling, interlocking and communications networks”;

- “Power supply and power traction systems”;

- “Rolling stock for railways. Technical requirements for its elements”;

- “Conversion of joint OSJD/UIC leaflets into international technical solutions (IRS) in the field of railway transport”.

The Commission’s meeting approved the following OSJD leaflets of recommendatory nature, having cancelled their previous editions available:

R 500/1 “Procedure for collecting and maintaining data on clearance-based railway route passing ability and permissible axle weight per track running meter”, Edition V;

R 745/5 “Resilient rail fasteners with resilient connecting screws”, Edition I;

R 778 “Recommendations on the structure, laying and maintenance of jointless track”, Edition II;

R 811 “Recommendations on operational and technical requirements for axle counting systems”, Edition III;

R 835 “Recommendations on mechanization and automation of freight wagons sorting at humps”, Edition IV;

R 602 “Recommendations on hardening the overhead network and overhead lines of power transmission against wind forcing”, Edition I;

R 611“Recommendations on the optimal parameters of converter transformers and static converters of railway DC substations”, Edition I.

The Commission’s meeting cancelled the following OSJD leaflets:

R 500/1 “Procedure for collecting and administering the data on clearance-based railway route passing ability and permissible axle weight per track running meter”, Edition IV as of 24.10.2014;

R 745/1 “Resilient rail fasteners with resilient connecting screws of the following types: Skl12, Skl14, Skl24, Skl21”, Edition II as of 24.10.2014;

R 745/3 “Resilient rail fasteners of ZBR-65 (ЖБР-65) type”, Edition I as of 12.10.2012;

R 745/4 “Resilient rail fastener KPP, in view of other types of resilient fasteners”, Edition I as of 05.11.2004;

R 778 “Recommendations on the structure, laying and maintenance of jointless track”, Edition I as of 30.10.2015;

R 633 “Recommendations on the improvement of overhead catenary systems and current collection on the electrified railways at speeds of up to 200 km/h”, Edition I as of 25.01.1977.

The expert meeting on subtopic 5.2 “Wagons and Coaches” adopted a decision to continue the work in 2021 to update the following OSJD leaflets:

R 513 “Recommendation of thermotechnically-sound structure of wheels and brake blocks of railway rolling stock with shoe-type brakes”, Edition III as of 16.10.2001;

O+R 516 “Railway rolling stock. Technical requirements for rolling stock in international traffic between the 1435-mm and 1520-mm railway systems of OSJD member countries. Freight wagons”, Edition II as of 24.04.2015;

O+R 520 “Railway rolling stock. Technical requirements for rolling stock in international traffic between the 1435-mm and 1520-mm railway systems of OSJD member countries. Passenger coaches”, Edition II as of 24.04.2015;

The Commission’s meeting agreed on the following leaflets of mandatory-recommendatory nature for their submission for approval by meeting XXXVI of the Conference of General Directors with the cancellation of leaflet O+R 756, Edition III:

O+R 756 “Recommendations on wear reduction of switches” in view of information material on the topic “Protection method for the elements of switches against wear to extend their lifetime”, Edition IV;

O+R 773/6 “Recommendations on reinforcing the lining of railway tunnels with the use of anchoring systems and composite material”, Edition I.

As it was proposed to add to the draft Work Plan of the Commission for 2021 a new agenda “Elaboration of information material on the subject ‘Experience in applying the automatic gauge changeover systems’” of subtopic 5.2 “Wagons and coaches”, the working body of the Commission invited the railways participating in the subtopic “Wagons and coaches” to inform the OSJD Committee on their preparedness to take part in the that subject in 2021.

The Commission’s meeting decided that draft OSJD Leaflet O 592 “Maximum gross weight of the containers admitted to be carried on the flat wagons of existing types” would require its finalization, requesting to agree it by the end of 2020. And the leading duty holder from BC was invited by the meeting to make respective modifications for approval by meeting XXXVI of the Conference of General Directors in April 2021.

The working results gained by the experts on the subject “Conversion of joint OSJD/UIC leaflets into international railway solutions (IRS)” for 2020 were approved and it was recommended that this work be continued in 2021.

The UIC representative informed the meeting participants delivering a presentation on the migration progress of the UIC leaflets into IRS (international railway solutions) and on the work planned for the period of 2020-2022.

The meeting provisionally agreed on the IRS “Rolling stock gauges” (which included the main and applied parts). Once the RZD JSC had submitted to the OSJD Committee the corrected Russian translation of the draft IRS “Rolling stock gauges” (which included the main and applied parts), the OSJD Committee would send it for consideration and approval at meeting XXXVI of the Conference of General Directors.

The meeting participants were informed about the updates of the draft document “Terms of Reference of the OSJD/UIC Joint Working Group on the conversion of joint OSJD/UIC leaflets into draft international railway solutions (IRS)”. The UIC representative informed that the draft Terms of Reference were undergoing the procedure of internal approval at the UIC and at the OSJD likewise.

The following railways agreed to participate in this work in 2021: BC, MAV Co., ‘KTZ NC’ JSC, CFM, UBZD, PKP JSC, RZD OJSC, Ukrzaliznytsia JSC, as well as LDZ, LTG Cargo, EVR in the observer’s capacity. The representative of MAV Co. stated that the MAV Co. would participate in the JWG as a full member.

The Commission’s meeting agreed to include the draft IRS “Carriage of unconventional con- signments in international railway traffic” for consideration in the draft Work Plan for 2021.

The Commission’s meeting has agreed on the draft “Report on the working results of the OSJD Commission on Infrastructure and Rolling Stock for 2020”, the Commission’s Work Plan for 2021, OSJD Work Programme for 2022 and the years to come as well as General Section of the Work Plan of the OSJD working bodies for 2021 in part of the activities of the OSJD Com- mission on Infrastructure and Rolling Stock.