The 57^th meeting of the OSJD/ERA Contact Group on the subject: “Collaboration between ERA and OSJD on the analysis of the relation- ship between 1520-mm/1524-mm and 1435-mm rail systems of EU and non-EU states”; was held from 23 till 25 March 2021 in a videoconferencing mode with the participation of the representatives of the OSJD member countries from the Republic of Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Poland, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Ukraine and Republic of Estonia. Representatives of the OSJD Committee, the European Union Railway Agency (ERA), the European Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the Directorate of the Council for Railway Transport of the Commonwealth Member States (CSZT) also took part in the meeting.

The meeting was opened and chaired by Ms. Natalya Skachenko, Chairperson from the ERA side – Project Expert of the International Cooperation Group of the ERA Department of Executive Office and Communications, and by Mr. Shukhrat Kayumkhodjaev, Cochairman from the OSJD side – Chairman of the OSJD Commission on Transport Policy and Development Strategy.

ERA Executive Director Josef Doppelbauer addressed the meeting participants with a welcoming speech.

The following agenda items were considered.

1. Updating the analysis of the ‘Power supply’ subsystem.
2. Analysis of the subsystem ‘Telematics applications for freight traffic’.
3. Updating the analysis of the subsystems ‘Locomotives and multiple-unit rolling stock’ and ‘Passenger coaches’.
4. Exchange of relevant information and practical experience in order to coordinate measures to maintain and improve the existing technical and operational compatibility and smooth international railway transport (including cross-border traffic and transport safety).
5. Miscellaneous.

When discussing the subject “Updating the analysis of the ‘Power supply’ subsystem”, the ERA representatives informed that there were no comments or suggestions on the draft summary (version 10 of the analysis); small clarifications were received on the text of the requirements for the main parameters of the ‘Power supply’ subsystem from the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic regarding the application of the ‘Power supply’ TSI in their countries, which were introduced into the text (version 11 of the analysis). After the discussion, the final version of the document “Updating the analysis of the ‘Power supply’ subsystem” was agreed, which marked the end of the work on this document with its preparation for publication on the ERA and OSJD websites.

When considering the subject “Analysis of the subsystem ‘Telematic applications for freight transport’”, the ERA representatives in their presentation dwelt on the new and updated results of comparisons of practical examples of messages, demonstrating the completed Annex under the title “Details of comparison of practical examples of messages”, draft updated and supplemented conclusions for each main parameter of the subsystem, as well as draft general conclusions based on the information collected during the analysis and all the results of comparisons of practical message examples. At the meantime, the ERA specialist made an overview of recent and planned updates of the TAF TSI.

Within the subject “Updating the analysis of the subsystems ‘Locomotives and multiple- unit rolling stock’ and ‘Passenger coaches’”, the meeting participants were delivered an ERA presentation “Standardisation in the European regulation and in the technical specifications for interoperability (TSI)”.

The ERA representatives presented an updated version of the analysis, including updated information from the Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Lithuania and Ukraine, as well as additional information on European standards for this subsystem.

Within the framework of the subject “Exchange of relevant information and practical experience in order to coordinate measures to maintain and improve the existing technical and operational compatibility and smooth international railway transport (including cross-border traffic and transport safety”, the meeting participants were delivered a presentation by the representative of Russian Railways OJSC “Report on the work of the interstate technical committee for standardisation ITC (MTK) 524 ‘Railway transport’ for 2020”.

The participants of the OSJD-ERA Contact Group were asked to inform the OSJD Committee and ERA of their interest in providing presentations at the next meetings of the Contact Group on the subjects “Approach to continuous improvement of railway traffic safety in the railway sector” and/or “Experience of countries in the implementation and development of digital control systems and railway traffic control”.

The agreed provisional agenda for the 58^th OSJD-ERA Contact Group meeting (18-20 May 2021) includes the following items:

1. Analysis of the subsystem “Telematics applications for freight traffic”;
2. Updating the analysis of the subsystems “Locomotives and multiple-unit rolling stock” and “Passenger coaches”;
3. Updating the analysis of the subsystem “Infrastructure. Track and track facilities”;
4. Exchange of relevant information and practical experience in order to coordinate measures to maintain and improve the existing technical and operational compatibility and smooth international railway transport (including cross-border traffic and transport safety);
5. Miscellaneous.