Tehran Hosting OSJD Int'l Freight Conference

OSJD, otherwise known as the Organization for Cooperation of Railways, was established as the equivalent of the International Union of Railways to create and improve international rail transport coordination. 

Mainly concerning transportation between Europe and Asia, it has helped develop cooperation between railroad companies and with other international organizations. The members of this organization created an international transportation law, according to Financial Tribune.

The two-day conference organized by OSJD is aimed at developing and completing international rail freight transport in the Eurasia region and exchanging ideas and experience on improving the efficiency of freight transport by rail, enhancing the transport services for customers, identifying perspectives for cooperation between railroads and freight forwarders, UIC reported on its website.

UIC is an international rail transport industry body with 94 members across five continents.

OSJD members, in addition to Iran, include Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, Georgia, Kazakhstan, China, North and South Korea, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Estonia.

Topics being discussed during the conference include cargo potential in Asia-Pacific countries for the organization of rail traffic between Europe and Asia; perspectives for the development of container transportation–experience in creating a railroad product; legal framework for rail freight transport and its improvement; tariff policy and marketing; information technologies in the field of rail freight transport; ways to increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of rail transport; modem logistic solutions; interaction with other modes of transport (combined, intermodal, multimodal transportations); the current situation on the freight market shared by different modes of transport; and technological aspects for the organization of international freight traffic.

The Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran hopes that the event will bring about tangible and fruitful results in increasing rail transportation between Europe and Asia and also increase cooperation between IRIR and other international organizations, railroads and freight forwarders, the UIC website wrote.

The event is being held at Tehran's Azadi Hotel.

Major OSJD (otherwise known as OSShD) activities, according to its website, include development and improvement of international rail transportation with the traffic between and Asia in the first place, to include combined transportation; development of consentaneous transport policy in the field of international rail traffic, elaboration of rail transport and OSJD activity strategies; improvement of international transport law, administration of the Convention concerning International Passenger Traffic by Rail and the Convention concerning International Goods Traffic by Rail.

Other activities involved cooperation on the resolution of problems connected with the economic, information, scientific, technological and ecological aspects of rail transport; development of measures aimed at increasing rail transport competitiveness compared with other modes of transportation, cooperation in the field of rail operation and technical matters connected with further development of international rail traffic; and collaboration with other international organizations, engaged in rail transportation, including those of combined transport.