The UITP Eurasia Urban Rail Forum 2026, hosted by Tbilisi Transport Company (TTC), brings together several UITP working bodies in Tbilisi, Georgia. The programme includes the 103rd Metro Division Meeting, meetings of the EMURP and Eurasia Board, a workshop and a technical visit. The Forum provides opportunities for knowledge and experience sharing, networking and exchanges on major developments and trends in the sector.
What You Will Learn
Participants will exchange knowledge and experiences on urban rail developments and trends. The workshop will address the lifecycle of urban rail systems, covering financing, procurement, integrated operations, asset management and long-term sustainability. The technical visit will provide insights into Tbilisi’s public transport system, projects and initiatives.
Who is it for?
UITP members from the different UITP bodies meeting in Tbilisi, including the Metro Committee and Division, the UITP Eurasia-MENA Urban Rail Platform and the UITP Eurasia Board, as well as stakeholders from the region and international participants.
Room: Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace – Gergeti Hall
Room: Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace – Mtirala & Shino Hall
Registration: Please contact [email protected] to receive the registration link.
Key Topics
Official launch and presentation of the Platform’s second report on PPPs and Alternative Funding Models.
Discussion of key findings, trends, challenges, and lessons learned from the study.
Updates from metro and light rail operators across the Eurasia and MENA regions.
Exchange of experiences and best practices among platform members.
Introduction of the Platform’s next collaborative study, including objectives, timeline, and expected deliverables.
Interactive discussion on future priorities and areas for cooperation.
Creation of working groups and allocation of responsibilities for upcoming activities.
Local host presentation by Tbilisi Transport Company.
Networking opportunities with urban rail professionals, operators, and industry experts from across the region.
Lunch break
12:00–13:30
Room: Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace – Gombori Hall
Registration: Please contact [email protected] to receive the registration link.
Key Topics
Strategic discussions on the latest developments, priorities, and opportunities shaping public transport across the Eurasia region.
Roundtable exchange featuring updates from member cities, including recent projects, initiatives, and implementation experiences.
Global update from UITP on key activities, trends, and developments affecting the international public transport sector.
Presentation of the UITP Eurasia Office workplan and regional activities for the coming period.
Progress updates on the Eurasia & MENA Urban Rail Platform (EMURP) and the Eurasia MEWA Transport Report.
Exchange of views among committee members on regional challenges, priorities, and future collaboration opportunities.
Discussion of next steps and upcoming committee activities.
Room: Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace – Ati Restaurant
Address: 20 Telavi St, Tbilisi 0103
Dress code: Business / Formal
Note: delegates to gather in the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace lobby.
METRO DIVISION MEETING
08:00–08:01
Registration & Coffee
08:00–09:00
Opening
Jeffrey SIM, UITP Metro Division Chair & UITP Vice-President, Group CEO – SBS Transit, Singapore
Welcome words from UITP President
Gautier BRODEO, UITP President
Welcome words & local host presentation
Giorgi (Zaza) SHARKOV, CEO of Tbilisi Transport Company
Words by the Guest of Honour Deputy Head of TUDA(Transport and Urban Development Agency)
Coffee Break
10:30–11:00
Session description: Artificial intelligence and digitalization are rapidly transforming metro operations, offering new opportunities to improve efficiency, safety, reliability and asset performance. Yet, with many potential applications available, operators face the challenge of identifying where AI can deliver the greatest value and should be prioritized. This session will explore the most promising use cases across operations, maintenance, customer service, while addressing the human dimension of digital transformation. Speakers will discuss, among others, practical strategies for engaging employees, building trust, and demonstrating how AI can support—not replace—the workforce, creating benefits for both staff and passengers.
Pedro MATEU I SOLER, Director for the transfer of Rodalies infraestructures, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunia, Barcelona & UITP Metro Committee Chair
Lunch Break
13:00–14:00
Workshop description: Budget constraints are placing increasing pressure on metro operators, making it more difficult to maintain infrastructure and assets while meeting growing expectations for safe, reliable and high-quality service. As maintenance backlogs grow, operators must carefully balance short-term financial realities with long-term asset performance and resilience. This workshop will examine the impacts of funding shortages on maintenance strategies and explore how operators are prioritizing interventions, optimizing resources, and adopting innovative approaches to mitigate risks. Participants will share practical experiences and discuss how to preserve safety, reliability and passenger confidence despite tightening budgets. Delegates will be divided into sub-groups. Each will be invited to briefly present their own challenges, solutions and vision. The group facilitators will then report the main takeaways to the Division.
Coffee break
15:45–16:15
Session description: Across the world, metro operators are investing in the renovation of stations and depots to improve operational efficiency, enhance the passenger experience, and support long-term network resilience. Modernizing existing infrastructure can reduce maintenance costs, optimize operations, improve accessibility, and create safer, more attractive environments for customers. This session will showcase successful renovation projects, innovative approaches, and strategies for rebuild passenger confidence, encourage ridership growth, and maximize the value of existing assets through asset renewal.
Jeffrey SIM, UITP Metro Division Chair & UITP Vice-President, Group CEO – SBS Transit, Singapore
Let’s celebrate metro networks marking important anniversaries! An award-giving ceremony is organized to recognize these important milestones and reflect on decades of innovation, resilience, and impact in shaping connected, sustainable cities around the world.
Room: Restaurant “Georgian House”
Official Dinner – Restaurant “Georgian House”
Address: 2 Giorgi Tsabadze street T’bilisi, 0112
Dress code: Business / Formal
Note: delegates to gather in the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace lobby
WORKSHOP DAY
08:00–08:01
Coffee & Registration
08:00–09:00
Welcome words of local host Giorgi (Zaza) SHARKOV, CEO of Tbilisi Transport Company
Welcome words from UITP President
Gautier BRODEO, UITP President
Words by the Guest of Honour (TBD)
The success of urban rail systems depends not only on engineering excellence or infrastructure delivery, but also on the institutional, financial, and regulatory frameworks that enable systems to be planned, funded, governed, operated, and renewed over the long term. Across the Eurasia and MENA regions, many cities have made significant progress in expanding rail networks, improving service quality, and strengthening integration with wider public transport systems. However, they continue to face challenges related to governance coordination, sustainable funding, financing mechanisms, regulatory frameworks, risk allocation, and long-term asset stewardship.
This session will examine the key financial and regulatory models that support the successful development and operation of urban rail systems. Participants will explore international and regional experiences in project financing, institutional governance, public-private partnerships (PPPs), regulatory frameworks, and funding mechanisms, while discussing practical approaches to ensuring the long-term financial sustainability and resilience of urban rail investments.
Coffee Break
11:00–11:30
Effective asset management and maintenance are fundamental to ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient urban rail operations. As many operators expand or modernise their networks, they increasingly face the challenge of managing mixed fleets consisting of different generations and types of rolling stock. This requires diverse technical expertise, specialised tools, varying maintenance procedures, spare parts inventories, and workforce competencies.
The complexity of maintaining both infrastructure and rolling stock across a mixed fleet places significant demands on operators seeking to deliver consistent, high-quality service while optimising lifecycle costs. At the same time, advances in digitalisation, condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and AI- and machine learning-based inspection technologies are enabling more proactive maintenance strategies through real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and early detection of potential failures.
This session will explore best practices in managing mixed fleets and complex rail assets, highlighting strategies, technologies, and organisational approaches that enhance reliability, optimise maintenance performance, and support long-term operational sustainability.
Lunch Break
12:30–13:30
Integration is the foundation of an accessible, efficient, and user-centred public transport system. Different modes—such as metro, light rail (LRT), bus, suburban rail, and shared mobility services—serve varying capacities and travel patterns. When effectively integrated, they complement one another to create a seamless, high-performing mobility network.
Seamless multimodal mobility requires more than physical connections between modes. It depends on coordinated service planning, convenient transfers, integrated ticketing and fare policies, real-time passenger information, and strong institutional collaboration among transport authorities and operators. Equally important are high-quality first- and last-mile connections, including walking, cycling, micromobility, and feeder services, which improve accessibility to public transport. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) further strengthens integration by creating compact, mixed-use, and walkable communities around public transport corridors and stations, encouraging sustainable travel behaviour and maximising the value of rail investments. Together, these elements reduce travel barriers, improve the passenger experience, and make public transport a more attractive alternative to private car use.
This session will explore the principles and best practices of multimodal integration, highlighting strategies for network planning, mobility hubs, integrated ticketing, first- and last-mile connectivity, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), digital passenger information, and governance models that enable seamless end-to-end journeys. Participants will gain practical insights into how integrated transport systems can increase public transport ridership, improve operational efficiency, and support sustainable urban mobility.
Coffee Break
14:30–15:00
Tendering and procurement are critical to the successful delivery and long-term performance of urban rail systems. Well-designed procurement strategies ensure that projects achieve the optimal balance between cost, quality, reliability, innovation, and lifecycle value. As urban rail networks continue to expand and, in some cases, become subject to competitive operating models, procurement must also support long-term operational objectives and network resilience.
Public Transport Authorities (PTAs) face the challenge of selecting procurement approaches that best meet their operational and strategic needs. This includes deciding between technical and performance-based specifications, incorporating Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) into tender evaluations, and ensuring that procurement decisions are aligned with fleet renewal cycles, asset management strategies, and evolving service requirements. Effective contract management is equally essential to manage risks, monitor supplier performance, and ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in accordance with contractual obligations.
This session will explore best practices in tendering, procurement, and contract management for urban rail systems. Participants will gain practical insights into procurement strategies, specification development, lifecycle-based evaluation methods, coordinating tenders with network and fleet renewal plans, procurement in competitive operating environments, and lessons learned from common procurement challenges. The session will also discuss how PTAs can ensure they procure solutions that best fit their long-term operational, financial, and passenger service objectives.
Feyzullah GUNDOGDU, Head of Eurasia, UITP
Closing cocktail: Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace
Address: 20 Telavi St, Tbilisi 0103
Dress code: Business/Formal
Note: delegates to reach the cocktail venue right after the workshop
Technical Visit: Gldani Depot, Rustaveli Station, State University Station
The visit will start with a tour of the Gldani Depot, providing an overview of maintenance and
depot operations. Participants will then travel by train along the line, including visits to
Rustaveli Metro Station (the deepest station) and State University Metro Station (the newest
station).
Note: delegates to gather in the lobby of Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace. A bus transfer
is organized to reach the depot. Delegates will then continue the visit riding the Tbilisi metro,
experiencing the system.
Gautier holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the École Spéciale des Travaux Publics (ESTP) and a Master of Science (MSc) in Project Management from the University of Birmingham.
In addition to his professional achievements, Gautier serves as a lecturer in public transport at École des Ponts ParisTech and Paris Sorbonne University. He is also a board member of CESI, a prominent network of engineering schools with over 8,400 graduates in 2024.
Giorgi SHARKOVI
Chief Executive Officer
Tbilisi Transport Company
Georgia
Ferial Iman OUAHRANI
Research Project Manager
Membership & Global Operations
Jeffrey SIM
Group Chief Executive Officer of SBS Transit Singapore, Chair of the UITP Metro Division, and Chair of the UITP Asia Pacific Urban Rail Platform
Singapore
Mr Jeffrey Sim Vee Ming is the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SBS Transit.
He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), and serves on its Transportation Standards Committee. He also chairs the National Workplace Learning Certification Award Committee.
Internationally, Mr Sim is the elected Chairman of the Metro Division of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP). He concurrently chairs the UITP Asia-Pacific Urban Rail Committee, and serves as UITP National Ambassador for Singapore and a member of the UITP Policy Board.
Recognised for his expertise in urban mobility, Mr Sim is a C-Suite in Residence at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), and serves on the Advisory Board of its Engineering Systems and Design pillar. He also sits on the advisory boards of the National University of Singapore’s Mechanical Engineering programme, the Singapore Institute of Technology’s Engineering Systems programme and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) Asia.
For his leadership in environmental stewardship and corporate sustainability, Mr Sim received the Impact Leader Excellence Award at the Sustainability Impact Awards 2025, organised by The Business Times and UOB. He is also a recipient of the NTUC Medal of Commendation for his efforts in championing the welfare and well-being of SBS Transit’s 10,000 employees.
Mr Sim holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and a Master of Engineering from the National University of Singapore, and a Master of Arts (with distinction) from Massey University, New Zealand. He has also attended executive management programmes at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and NUS Business School, as well as the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD.
He is a public transport professional with over 25 years of experience in different phases, fields, and modes.
Currently, working for uitp as senior advisor to academy and head of Eurasia, responsible for peer review and assessment services as well as content management for training programs.
He completed the Ph.D. program in Business Administrations, with a thesis “Effects of Formalization of Informal Transport System on Stakeholder Satisfaction”.
He started his public transport journey in METRO ISTANBUL in 1999 and worked for six years in different positions such as signaling engineer, maintenance planning, software development engineer, risk management, etc.
He was head engineer for Kayseri rail system construction project in which later became managing director of the operator company, Kayseri Transportation. Under his management the company took over the operation of bus system including rural transport, bike sharing system, electronic fare collection, city car parking system, fiber communication backbone of the city, R&D center that developed smart traffic management and enforcement systems. Under his mandate, with his innovative approach the company received several national and international awards.
During his public transportation carrier, he worked in different fields and took different management roles like fixed installation (communication, power, track, signaling, overhead catenary) manager, RAMS&EMC manager, R&D manager, corporate development manager, construction manager, vehicles, and maintenance manager.
He was a member of the policy and executive board, and chairman of light rail division of UITP between 2015-2019. He was chairman of UITP informal Transport working group and member of presidential committee between 2019-2021. He was the president of Rail System Operators Association TÜRSİD, in Turkey. Vice president of Anatolian Rail Transportation Systems Cluster, ARUS. He was the Member of higher advisory board of Kayseri Industrial Chamber, Vice president board of Turkish quality association of Kayseri, and Member of the Advisory Board of İstanbul Technical University, Railway Safety and Security Application & Research Center.
The Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace is located at 20 Telavi Street, Tbilisi, approximately 14 km from Tbilisi International Airport.
From
Transport
Approx. Time
Approx. Cost
Information
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
🚕 Taxi
~20–30 min
~40 GEL
Direct to Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
🚌 Bus 337
~40–50 min
1 GEL
Airport → Ketevan Tsamebuli Ave. / nearby stop, then short walk
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
🚐 Hotel Shuttle
~20–30 min
USD 70 one way / USD 110 return
Advance reservation required
Tbilisi Central Railway Station
🚇 Metro
~20–25 min
~1 GEL
Station Square → 300 Aragveli, then short walk/taxi
Tbilisi Central Railway Station
🚕 Taxi
~10–15 min
Varies
Direct to the venue
Things to Do in Tbilisi
Tbilisi combines historic neighbourhoods, traditional architecture, thermal baths and modern landmarks. If you have some free time during your stay, we recommend exploring a few of the city’s highlights.
Old Tbilisi & Narikala Fortress – Walk through the historic centre and enjoy panoramic views over the city.
Abanotubani Sulfur Baths – One of Tbilisi’s most distinctive traditions, located in the heart of the old town.
Bridge of Peace & Rike Park – A modern pedestrian bridge connecting the historic centre with Rike Park.
Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba) – One of the city’s most recognisable landmarks.
Georgian Cuisine – Take time to try local favourites such as khinkali and khachapuri.
Most of these attractions are close to Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace and can easily be combined into an evening walk around Old Tbilisi.
Contact Us
Have a question? Contact our team if you need any additional information on this event.
