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The CIT continued involvement in the work of the UIC Wagon Users Study Group
Under the CIT-UIC cooperation agreement, the CIT advises the UIC and assists its members with specific issues relating to wagon law and the application of the provisions of the General Contract of Use for Wagons (GCU).
A meeting of the Wagon Users Study Group (WUSG) was held in Paris (UIC) on 6 May 2025. During this meeting, the CIT gave a presentation on the rationale for the potential revision of the CUV UR, in the context of the OTIF Work Programme 2025-2027.
Since then, the OTIF has launched a consultation on the CUV Uniform Rules and on Article 7 on Liability for damage caused by a vehicle. After consulting with its members, in particular with the CIM working group, the CIT responded to the OTIF Secretariat on 4 September 2025.
The latest meeting of the WUSG took place in Paris (UIC) on 16 September 2025. The agenda items included a review of the revision of the CUV Uniform Rules and a discussion of the OTIF survey. The CIT presented its views on the liability regime and the burden of proof under international railway law, explaining the historical context inherited from the pre-COTIF era (before 1 July 2006). On 17 September 2025, the issues related to future developments in wagon law were reviewed by some of the railway representatives present (DB Cargo, Rail Logistics Europe, Rail Cargo Group, ZSSK Cargo and FS Logistix) with a view to defining and sharing a GCU 2030 vision. The CIT will play an active role in advocating for the necessary legal and operational adjustments required for the sector to maintain efficient compliance with COTIF law.
In addition, an ad hoc group “ECM in GCU” is currently developing specific proposals to amend parts of the GCU to ensure full alignment with European regulations on entities in charge of maintenance.
The CIT will pursue all these topics in 2026, using the CIT-UIC workshop scheduled for May 2026 as the basis for future developments. The workshop will bring stakeholders together to define strategies for navigating both the increasingly complex and overlapping contractual models and the rising judicial scrutiny of national wagon law.