On 20-24 July 2026, the first UIC Middle East Railway Training Centre (MERTCe) event of 2026-2027 was successfully held in Ankara, Türkiye.

Organised under the umbrella of MERTCe in cooperation with the Turkish Railway Academy, a part of Turkish State Railways (TCDD), the rolling stock training programme brought together railway experts from Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI), Syrian Railways (CFS), and Macedonian Railways Infrastructure (MZI), as well as a representative from UIC.

Supported by expert instructors from Eskişehir Technical University and TCDD Transport JSC, the result of a collaboration between TCDD and Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ), the programme combined comprehensive theoretical sessions with technical site visits, providing participants with practical insights and the opportunity to discuss their ideas and experiences in the field of rolling stock maintenance.

The programme concluded with an award ceremony, during which participants who successfully completed the training were presented with certificates.

UIC thanks the Turkish Railway Academy for all their work and support.