Announcement: Alphanumeric Organisation Codes and railML Compatibility

by Sharon Király (railML.org)

The Railway Interchange Coding System (RICS) is a four-digit code issued to identify companies and organisations operating internationally within the railway sector.

RICS Company Codes are issued by the UIC (International Union of Railways). They present a separate identification system from Organisation Codes of the ERA (European Union Agency for Railways). However, as from 1st January 2026, the ERA will also be responsible for Organisation Code management for all parties operating within the EU and using those codes within the legal framework of the TAF/TAP TSI. Those codes for usage within TAF/TAP TSI were managed until 31st December 2025 by UIC.

  • railML.org Organisation Code in ERA Reference Data Portal
    railML.org Organisation Code in ERA Reference Data Portal
  • railML.org RICS Company Code in UIC Code Allocation Table
    railML.org RICS Company Code in UIC Code Allocation Table

Also, from 1st January 2026 on, Organisation Codes issued by ERA will allow for alphanumeric encoding. Previously, RICS encoding relied solely on numeric values and continues to do so. Following this change, within the railML codelist InfrastructureManagers, the pattern for companyCode has been extended in September 2025, and will now also allow for letters. This codelist is referenced in the railML® subschema Common.

Subsequently, railML.org partners need to check whether applied programs or any software using the railML® schema need to be modified accordingly. To adapt to the acceptance of letters, the pattern concerning the company code should be changed from [0-9]{4} to [0-9A-Z]{4}.

Cooperation between ERA and railML.org

As an organisation with unique perspective from both the programmer’s and user’s point of view, railML.org has had the honour to work closely with the ERA during the process of transitioning the responsibilities of Organisation Code management. By careful consultation, railML.org provided advice and critical feedback on the publication of the ERA’s Organisation Code database as well as the switch from numeric to alphanumeric codes.

We wish you a smooth transition to alphanumeric Organisation Code. Should you have any questions concerning the assignment of Organisation Codes by the ERA and / or the UIC RICS, please reach out directly to the responsible organisation. If however, you would like to add or modify an entry of the railML codelist InfrastructureManagers.xml, please reach out directly to the Common schema coordinator Thomas Nygreen under: coord@common.railML.org.