UIC Leaflet 474: Locomotive Interchange in International Freight Traffic

What is UIC Leaflet 474?

UIC Leaflet 474 is an operational standard titled “Regulations governing the exchange of locomotives and the use of locomotives in international freight traffic.” Historically, international rail freight required a locomotive change at every national border. This leaflet provides the regulatory mechanisms to allow a single locomotive to haul a train across multiple networks.

By standardizing the conditions for Locomotive Interchange, UIC 474 facilitates Interoperability. It addresses the legal, technical, and operational responsibilities when a Railway Undertaking (RU) uses its traction units on a foreign Infrastructure Manager’s (IM) network.

Technical and Operational Conditions

For a locomotive to operate under the provisions of UIC 474, it must meet several criteria to ensure safety and compatibility:

• Technical Compatibility: The locomotive must be equipped with the signaling and radio systems (such as ETCS, GSM-R, or legacy national systems) required by the transit network.
• Operating Procedures: Drivers must be trained and certified for the specific lines they will traverse, or a “pilot” driver must be provided by the host railway.
• Maintenance Responsibility: Clear definitions of which party is responsible for daily inspections and emergency repairs while the locomotive is away from its home depot.
• Safety Management: Alignment with the Safety Management System (SMS) of both the owning RU and the host IM.

Commercial and Administrative Framework

UIC 474 also outlines the administrative side of locomotive sharing:

• Usage Charges: Framework for how railways bill each other for the “rent” or use of horsepower-hours.
• Liability: Rules for determining responsibility in the event of a collision, technical failure, or damage to the infrastructure.
• Data Exchange: Ensuring that the TAF TSI (Telematics Applications for Freight) messages include the correct locomotive identification and technical metadata.

Impact on International Logistics

The application of UIC 474 has been a major driver in making rail freight competitive with road transport. Key benefits include:

• Elimination of Shunting: Removing the need to uncouple and re-couple locomotives at borders saves between 30 to 90 minutes per Border Crossing.
• Asset Utilization: Locomotives spend more time pulling trains and less time waiting at sidings for return journeys.
• Energy Efficiency: Reducing stop-and-start cycles at borders lowers the overall energy consumption of the Freight Traffic corridor.

Comparison: Traditional Border Stop vs. UIC 474 Run-Through