Updating the Agreement on Use of Freight Wagons in International Traffic (PGW Agreement)
On the topic “Updating the Agreement on Use of Freight Wagons in International Traffic (PGW Agreement)”, in accordance with the approved Plan of Work of the OSJD Commission on Freight Traffic for 2025, a meeting of authorized representatives of the Parties to the PGW Agreement took place at the OSJD Committee (Warsaw) in the period from 16 till 18 June 2025 to update the PGW Agreement, make amendments to the Rules for Use of Freight Wagons in International Traffic (PGW Rules), update the rates of payment for the use of freight wagons and bogies in international traffic, as well as to finalize the draft Work Plan for 2026 on the topic “Updating the Agreement on Use of Freight Wagons in International Traffic (PGW Agreement)”.
The meeting was attended by authorized representatives of the Parties to the PGW Agreement from the railway undertakings and companies from Belarus (BC), Bulgaria (BDZ Holding), Hungary (CJSC MAV, CJSC RCH), Iran (RAI), Kazakhstan (KZH), DPRK (ZC), Kyrgyzstan (KRG), Latvia (LDZ CARGO), Lithuania (LTG), Moldova (CFM), Poland (PKP CARGO), Russia (JSC “Russian Railways”), Romania (CFR, UTZ, KTV), Slovakia (ZSSK CARGO), Tajikistan (TDZ), Uzbekistan (UTI), Ukraine (JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia”) and, Estonia (EVR), as well as representatives of the Railways Agency of Turkmenistan (TRK); OSJD Affiliated Enterprises, namely PLASKE JSC, PJSC TransContainer and the OSJD Committee’s representatives.
In the welcoming speech, the delegations were thanked for their participation and, for the relevance of discussions and decisions to be taken on the practical and topical items of the meeting agenda was underscored.
In accordance with Item 3 of the Rules for conduct of meetings (Annex C (Б) to the PGW Agreement), the meeting was chaired by Ms. Olga Artemjeva, Member of OSJD Committee, specialist of the OSJD Commission on Freight Traffic.
The meeting participants took note of the information delivered by Mr. Attila Kiss, Executive Secretary of OSJD Committee, on the decisions adopted by the XXXIX Conference of General Directors (authorized representatives) of OSJD Railways (OSJD Committee, Warsaw, 14-17 April 2025) in the field of freight traffic, including the issue of improvement of the PGW Agreement and updating of the PGW Rules.
Information prepared by the chair of the meeting on the implementation of the decisions of the meeting of authorized representatives of the Parties to the PGW Agreement (OSJD Committee, Warsaw, 4-6 June 2024) was also delivered to the meeting participants.
In the course of discussion of possible changes in the rates of payment for the use of freight wagons, bogies and wagons without bogies in international traffic, the following was discussed:
- Draft calculated payment rates (based on the 2024 data provided by the Parties to the PGW Agreement);
- Applicable rates including the indexation coefficient.
However, according to the results of the votes, no decision was made to change the payment rates for any of the options discussed above, and therefore, the current rates remain in force.
As the parties to the PGW Agreement, the meeting participants finalized and agreed the following amendments to: Annex B (Б) “Rules for Use of Freight Wagons in International Traffic (PGW)” to the PGW Agreement (new sub-paragraph 11.5), Appendix 10 “Price List for repair of wagons” to the PGW (sub-paragraphs 1.1.a, 1.1.b), Appendix 17 “Methodology on calculation of charge rates for the use of wagons, bogies and bogieless wagons” to the PGW (sub-paragraphs 1.1 .2.1, 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 1.3.1, 1.3.4, 1.3.b), Annex 1 “Uniform wagon numbering by subgroups and types” of Appendix 17 “Methodology on calculation of charge rates for the use of wagons, bogies and bogieless wagons” to the PGW.
The final decision on the agreed amendments to the PGW Rules with their entry into force as of 1 January 2026 will be transmitted by the OSJD Committee, the depositary of the PGW Agreement, to all Parties to the PGW Agreement in accordance with the provisions of the PGW Agreement.
Based on the decisions adopted, the work on improvement of the PGW Agreement and updating of the PGW Rules will be continued at regular meetings in 2026, taking into account the proposals drafted by the Parties to the PGW Agreement.
The Party to the PGW Agreement, member of the Working Group of the Parties to the PGW Agreement reported, as to the calculation of rates, the LDZ CARGO Ltd. was unable to continue to perform the functions of the leading railway undertaking on the topic “Updating the rates of payment for the use of freight wagons and bogies in international traffic (Appendix 12 to the PGW)” from the year 2026 due to structural and personnel changes taking place in the company. During the opinion exchange, no railway undertaking expressed willingness to undertake the role of the leading railway undertaking. Therefore, the meeting participants decided that the Methodology should be revised with regard to the frequency of calculations and the role of the leading railway undertaking at their future meetings scheduled in 2026.
The meeting participants agreed to include the work on the topic “Updating the Agreement on Use of Freight Wagons in International Traffic (PGW Agreement) in the draft Work Plan of the OSJD Commission on Freight Traffic for 2026”.