Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Dr Volker Wissing, will outline the German government’s plans for sustainable transport on 31 May 2022 during the 11^thInternational Railway Summit. The summit is being organised in association with the International Union of Railways (UIC), official partner to the summit since 2017.

Minister Wissing will deliver the keynote speech entitled ‘Strategic vision for investment in rail and how we can meet climate targets’, demonstrating the country’s political will to support positive change, and how rail can help lead the way to a carbon-neutral future.Minister Wissing said:“To travel by train is to combat climate change: every passenger who travels, and every item of freight that is transported by rail instead of road reduces emissions. This is why we are investing in infrastructure and upgrading the rail network, signal boxes and train stations as well as control, command and signalling technology. We are digitalising and building on innovative ideas to make travelling by train pleasant, comfortable and reliable both in Germany and Europe. I will be speaking about our ideas and actions at the International Railway Summit in Berlin, and I am looking forward to our exchange.”

François Davenne, Director General of UIC, said:“As the worldwide railway association, UIC has been publishing the technical standards that have framed the modern railways since 1921. The pandemic and the environmental challenges ahead will require new transport solutions to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050, and rail shall become the backbone of this new mobility. UIC will convene its members around this common purpose and, through this collaborative partnership, will foster innovations that will transform railways into smart, interconnected networks.”The theme of the 11^th International Railway Summit will be ‘Innovating rail for people, planet and prosperity’. 

The summit’s two-day conference programme will address the most vital challenges in social, environmental and economic sustainability.World-class speakers taking part will include Christian Kern, Former Federal Chancellor of Austria, Josef Doppelbauer, Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways, Rolf Härdi, Chief Technology Officer of Deutsche Bahn, and Silvia Roldán, CEO of Madrid Metro.The summit also features bespoke one-to-one business meetings, site visits at innovative local rail facilities, and a variety of networking dinners, lunches and coffee breaks.

To find out more about the summit, please visit www.irits.org/irs11.

A limited number of VIP passes are available to senior executives representing rail operators, infrastructure owners, rolling stock manufacturers and national/ local governments. To request a VIP pass, please submit your details at www.irits.org/request-a-vip-pass/.

The International Railway Summit is a meeting of senior executives representing the world’s key rail operators, rail infrastructure management companies, national and local governments, rolling stock manufacturers and a wide range of solution providers.

International Railway Summit provides a 'matchmaking' service between rail industry leaders ('buyers') and technical experts, based on buyer delegates' project requirements and the proven expertise of large and small suppliers that we have carefully handpicked. Based on this matchmaking, buyer delegates attend one-to-one consultation sessions with suitable suppliers during the annual summit.

In addition to the one-to-one meetings, delegates also attend a conference programme given by key industry leaders and experts and network over lunches and dinners with their counterparts and industry colleagues from all over the world. The International Railway Summit is hosted by IRITS Events. The 11th International Railway Summit will take place in Berlin, Germany, from 30 May - 1 June 2022.