International relations

The ÖBB Group of companies is active at an international level. We promote cooperation with foreign railways, EU institutions and international interest groups. EU legislation and interoperability are among the topics which are of interest to the Group as a whole.

ÖBB is a member of the following international interest groups:

UIC (International Union of Railways)

Founded in 1922, the International Union of Railways, UIC, comprises today 240 members on 5 continents, including railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, business partners and academia. UIC’s mission is to promote rail transport at world level with the objective of optimally meeting current and future challenges of mobility and sustainable development. In addition to exchange of experience between members UIC’s activities are focusing on technical cooperation in the following areas: interoperability, security, research & development, high speed, sustainability, and freight traffic and, in particular, standardisation.” uic.org

CER (Community of European Railways)

CER promotes communication and the development of the rail sector in the EU. It is the common voice of the railways vis-a-vis the European Commission, Parliament and Council of Ministers and cooperates closely with the UIC. CER's main task is to monitor EU legislation, to show its impact on the railways and to agree with its members the approach to be taken and the contents of documents to represent their interests. www.cer.be