APTA and UNIFE Focus on Strengthening Transatlantic Rail Cooperation

From left: Jonathan Nguyen, UNIFE head of public affairs; Enno Wiebe, UNIFE director general; Janet Thompson, UNIFE events & membership manager; Paul P. Skoutelas, APTA president and CEO and Bryan Sooter, APTA senior director, standards and rail engineering.

At InnoTrans 2026, Sept. 22–25 in Berlin, APTA and UNIFE, the Association of the European Rail Supply Industry, signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration between the U.S. and European rail sectors. The agreement establishes a framework for expanded cooperation on key industry priorities, including rail cybersecurity, procurement and standards, workforce development, research, and emerging technologies.

In conjunction with the signing, APTA participated in a joint event on the UNIFE stand at InnoTrans, focused on opportunities for deeper Europe-U.S. collaboration and shared challenges facing the rail industry.

The renewed partnership reflects APTA and UNIFE’s shared commitment to ensuring rail remains a sustainable, resilient, and technologically advanced transportation solution for the future.