CARS, RSI and UNIFE Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance the Railway Supply Industry
BERLIN, 21 September 2022 - The Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers (CARS), the Railway Supply Institute (RSI) and the European Rail Supply Industry Association (UNIFE) announced at InnoTrans 2022 the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), effective September 20, 2022, to establish future collaboration between railway supply industry organizations.
“The railway supply industry in Canada, the United States and Europe are strategic manufacturing sectors. Currently, significant investment in rail projects is occurring on both sides of the Atlantic. This MoU further solidifies the recognition that rail is the greenest and safest means of moving both people and freight,” said Sylvia Newell, President of CARS.
“I’m proud to be joining these two organizations in a commitment to address some of our most important challenges facing the industry today,” said Patty Long, RSI President. “Recent international events have truly underscored the strategic importance of freight and passenger rail to world markets."
The MoU will begin a new phase in the long-standing cooperation between the organizations across a number of areas including - but not limited to - public procurement, global standards and skills. The agreement opens the door to deepened collaboration need to foster the health and future growth of the industry, while enabling the identification of emerging opportunities for the organizations to work together in advancing those objectives.
“In this critical time for railway suppliers, I cannot emphasize enough how valuable our partnership with RSI and CARS will be,” said Philippe Citroën, Director General of UNIFE. “By joining together to advocate for increased rail investment in Europe, the United States and Canada, our respective members are leading the way to a sustainable mobility future needed for renewed prosperity, equity and resiliency.”
About the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers (CARS)
The Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers (CARS) has been around for many years but incorporated in its current form in 1991 representing companies selling products and services to railways and transits domestically and internationally. CARS represents over 140 companies who are important to the operations of the railways and transit authorities. CARS is a member driven association of companies that supply products and services to Canadian railways and export markets. Our membership includes a wide variety of large, medium and small businesses. As an advocacy group, we promote a competitive framework for research and development and the vitality and importance of the rail supply sector and railways in Canada. For more information visit www.railwaysuppliers.ca
About the Railway Supply Institute (RSI)
The Railway Supply Institute (RSI) is the only all-inclusive trade association for railway suppliers in the United States. Representing more than 160 companies, RSI acts on behalf of the smallest and the largest suppliers to North American freight and passenger railroads. Industry segments include the mechanical, rolling stock, communications and signaling, maintenance of way, and passenger industries. For more information visit www.rsiweb.org, follow RSI on Twitter and join the RSI LinkedIn group.
About the European Rail Supply Industry Association (UNIFE)
Operating in Brussels since 1992, UNIFE represents European train builders and rail suppliers. The association advocates on behalf of more than 100 of Europe’s leading rail supply companies – from SMEs to major industrial champions – active in the design, manufacture, maintenance and refurbishment of rail transport systems, subsystems and related equipment. UNIFE also brings together national rail industry associations from 12 European countries. For more information visit www.unife.org and follow UNIFE on Twitter and LinkedIn.
