Dr Yuhan XIAO
The 2026 UITP Rail Study Tour in China offers a rare, ground-level immersion into one of the fastest-growing and most complex rail systems in the world—and the institutional, technological, and human capabilities that make it work at scale.
Across Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, participants will explore how a country delivering rail networks at unprecedented speed and volume plans, governs, operates, maintains, and continuously upgrades its systems while managing safety, resilience, and passenger experience for hundreds of millions of daily journeys.
Study Tour Highlights (Beijing – Guangzhou – Hong Kong)
- Large-scale metro & HSR benchmark (Beijing): learn how a mega-network manages peak demand, safety culture, service reliability, and disruption response.
- Major rail hub operations: observe passenger processing, crowd management, intermodal connections, and contingency planning in a high-throughput environment.
- Operations control & service delivery excellence: explore headway management, real-time decision-making, incident communication, and performance monitoring approaches.
- Asset management & maintenance insights (Guangzhou): visit depot/maintenance settings (as available) to understand planning, workforce practices, and reliability-focused workflows.
- Customer experience & station management deep-dives: structured station walk-throughs focusing on accessibility, wayfinding, passenger information, and safe passenger flows.
- Digitalisation & data-driven operations exchange: discuss practical applications of data, smart operations tools, and passenger information systems (subject to host availability).
- Cross-city learning method (UITP-facilitated): daily debriefs to capture key takeaways and translate them into “transfer-to-home-network” actions.
- High-level networking & partnerships: curated meetings and networking moments to connect with senior leaders, technical experts, and potential cooperation partners.
What You Will Learn
- A system-level view of rail delivery at scale – Participants will see how China aligns policy, investment, operations, and technology across institutions to sustain rapid network growth without compromising safety or reliability.
- Access across the entire rail value chain – Engagements span operators, manufacturers, technology providers, PTAs, and training bodies, offering a holistic understanding of how roles interact in practice—not in theory.
- Inside operations, not just presentations – Technical visits provide behind-the-scenes exposure to depots, OCC concepts, maintenance centres, stations, and service management environments, revealing how strategy translates into daily operational decisions.
- From digital ambition to operational reality – Participants will examine how data-driven operations, passenger information systems, integrated ticketing, and digital maintenance tools are deployed and governed—where available—within real operating constraints.
- Dialogue, not one-way learning – Structured exchanges with Chinese rail professionals create opportunities to ask hard questions, compare contexts, and discuss transferability, supporting genuine peer learning and relationship-building.
Who is it for?
- Public transport authorities and rail operators
- Metro/rail infrastructure managers and asset owners
- Signalling, systems, rolling stock, and digital solution providers
- Planners, policy makers, academics, and consultants in urban rail
Destinations
- Beijing – one of the world’s largest metropolitan rail contexts, ideal for learning about scale, resilience, governance, and intermodal hub operations.
- Hong Kong – global benchmark for service reliability, customer experience, and training culture in high-density operations.
- Guangzhou – fast-evolving megacity network with opportunities to learn about operational innovation, passenger flow management, and modern maintenance practices.
The 2026 UITP Rail Study Tour will be an exceptional opportunity to experience the future of rail transport, learn directly from leading operators, and build valuable global connections in one of the world’s most dynamic transport landscapes.
Mark your calendars for 16–20 November 2026 and be part of this exciting journey across China’s leading mobility cities!
Please, keep in mind that the group is limited to 30 participants for each tour to ensure a good learning experience. UITP is a global association, and participants come from public transport companies worldwide.
*UITP reserves the right to make amendments to the programme or any related activity at its discretion.
Practical Information
Visa to China
It is the sole responsibility of the participants to take care of their visa application.
Due to visa requirements in China, overseas registrations may take several weeks to process. We recommend you apply for your visa as early as possible.
Please contact your local travel agent or local embassy for travel visa to China. Visas are at the discretion of immigration. However, we are very pleased to assist you with the provision of Invitation Letter, if applicable, from the Local Host for visa application to China.
Please send your request to UITP Asia-Pacific at [email protected].
Important: Passport validity should be a minimum of 6 months from the intended date of arrival. Entry into China is subject to immigration approval.
General information about visa regulations is available on the website of the Chinese Visa Application Service Center.
Pricing
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Until 9 October
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From 10 October
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Groups
4 or more persons
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
UITP Member |
€2,300 |
€3,100 |
€2,150 |
|
Non Members |
€3,000 |
€4,100 |
€2,900 |
|
€1,650 |
€2,300 |
€1,600 |
|
|
€2,100 |
€2,900 |
€2,000 |
|
|
UITP Rail Committee Members |
€1,200 |
€1,200 |
€1,200 |
Contact Us
Have a question? Contact our team if you need any additional information on this event.
Organisers
Register Now
Register online and secure your place