Following the recent UIC General Assembly in Beijing, China, the Gulf Cooperation Council Railways Authority (GCCRA) has officially joined UIC as a new member.

This marks a significant milestone for the region, as the GCCRA is the first international railway safety authority from the Middle East to join UIC. Its membership underscores the growing importance of regional coordination and the development of interoperable, safe, and sustainable rail systems across the Gulf region.

The GCCRA now joins the ranks of other national and international railway authorities that are already part of UIC. These include, among others, China’s National Railway Administration (NRA), the USA’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Mexico’s Rail Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF), Australia’s National Transport Commission (NTC) and Public Transport Authority (PTA), India’s National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), Colombia’s National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), Brazil’s National Association of Railway Transport (ANTF), South Africa’s Railway Safety Regulator (RSR), and Gabon’s Rail Transport Regulatory Authority (ARTF).

The increasing participation of regulatory and safety bodies within UIC reflects the organisation’s evolving role as a global platform for collaboration, standard setting, and knowledge sharing in the rail sector.

Several other railway authorities are currently in talks to join the UIC network in the future.

Moreover, UIC is further bolstering international rail cooperation by maintaining formal agreements – such as Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) – with other key railway authorities and regulatory bodies, including the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), France’s Public Railway Safety Establishment (EPSF), and Australia’s Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB).