International Union of Railways

The International Union of Railways (French: Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer; abbreviation: UIC) is the name for the international rail transport industry body.

The railways of Europe had grown up as separate concerns. There were many border changes after the Great War and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the colonial overlords. Into this environment the UIC was born in October 1922, with the aim of standardising things.

A parallel body is the International Union of Public Transport (UITP) which covers passenger railways, especially in cities.