JR East’s Fukasawa Elected UIC President: New Strategy Unveiled

WARSAW – The International Union of Railways (UIC) has elected Yuji Fukasawa, President of East Japan Railway Company (JR East), as its new president for the 2026-2027 term during its 107th General Assembly. The Warsaw meeting also saw the launch of a new strategic work program for 2026–2028, signaling a pivotal shift for the global rail body towards project-based funding and intensified international advocacy.

Main Body:

The International Union of Railways (UIC) concluded a landmark General Assembly in Warsaw, marking a significant leadership transition and charting a new strategic course for the coming years. UIC members elected Yuji Fukasawa, president of the influential Japanese railway company JR East, to lead the organization for the 2026–2027 term. He will be supported by Stefano Antonio Donnarumma, CEO of FS Italiane, who was appointed vice president. The election marks the end of the term for outgoing President Alan Beroud and Vice-President Mohamed Rabie Khlie, who were praised for consolidating UIC’s role as a global platform for standardization and intensifying its advocacy work at key international forums like the COP climate summits. “We have made a major effort to promote the role of railways globally as a key element of sustainable development and international transport policy,” stated Beroud.

Central to the assembly was the validation of the new UIC Work Program for 2026–2028. This forward-looking agenda is built on six strategic pillars and underscores a fundamental shift in the organization’s financial model. The UIC aims to progressively reduce its dependence on traditional membership fees by expanding its project-based activities and specialized services. This strategy is already bearing fruit, with these activities accounting for a significant portion of the 2025 budget and project volume having increased by more than 50% compared to 2021. In his inaugural speech, incoming president Yuji Fukasawa stressed the importance of continuity and global collaboration, highlighting that the UIC’s standardization strategy is “essential for the future” and relies on the active involvement of all member regions.

The choice of Warsaw as the venue for this pivotal meeting is particularly noteworthy. It takes place as Poland places a significant national focus on bolstering its transportation infrastructure, viewing it as a critical engine for economic growth and national security. While recent policy discussions, such as the Sopot Declaration 2025, have explicitly identified aviation as a strategic priority for Poland, the UIC’s high-profile assembly in the nation’s capital provides a powerful platform to advocate for rail’s complementary and essential role. This context reinforces the urgency behind the UIC’s mission to champion rail transport as the backbone of sustainable mobility, both within rapidly developing nations and across the global stage.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership Shifts to Asia: The election of JR East’s Yuji Fukasawa as president places a leader from a technologically advanced rail market at the helm of the UIC.
• New Financial Model: The UIC is actively diversifying its revenue streams, moving away from a reliance on membership fees towards a more dynamic, project-driven financial structure.
• Focus on Global Collaboration: The assembly emphasized partnerships, including with the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), and promoted the first World Public Transport Day on April 17, 2026, to boost the sector’s visibility.

Editor’s Analysis

The 107th General Assembly represents more than a routine leadership change; it signals a strategic repositioning of the UIC for a new era. By electing a president from JR East, the UIC taps into a wealth of expertise in high-speed rail, operational efficiency, and technological innovation. This, combined with the deliberate pivot to a project-based financial model, is designed to make the organization more agile and results-oriented. As rail competes for investment and policy support against other modes of transport—even in host countries like Poland that are also boosting their aviation sector—the UIC’s renewed focus on standardization and global advocacy is critical. This strategy is vital for ensuring railways are not just part of the climate solution but are also recognized as a cornerstone of global economic stability and security.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the new president of the UIC?
Yuji Fukasawa, president of East Japan Railway Company (JR East), was elected as the new UIC president for the 2026–2027 term.

What is the main goal of the UIC’s 2026-2028 Work Program?
The program is built on six strategic pillars, with a key priority being a shift in the UIC’s financial model to reduce dependence on membership fees and grow its activities through projects and specialized services.

When and where will the next UIC General Assembly be held?
The next UIC General Assembly is scheduled to take place in a hybrid format on July 3, 2026, in Paris.