The expert meeting of the Parties to the Agreement on Use of Freight Wagons in International Traffic (hereinafter referred to as meeting) was held in the OSJD Committee in Warsaw from 3 to 5 April 2024 in compliance with the Work Plan of the OSJD Commission on Freight Traffic for 2024 in the field of updating the Agreement on Use of Freight Wagons in International Traffic (hereinafter referred to as PGW Agreement).

The meeting was attended by the authorized representatives of the Parties to the PGW Agreement from Byelorussian Railway (BC), Hungarian State Railways CJSC (MAV CJSC), Rail Cargo Hungaria CJSC (RCH CJSC), Kazakhstan Temir Zholy National Company (KZH), Kyrgyz Temir Zholu National Company (KRG), LDZ Cargo SJSC (LDZ Cargo), Lietuvos geležinkeliai JSC (LTG), State Enterprise Railway of Moldova (CFM), Mongolian and Russian “Ulan-Bator Railway” JSC (UBZD JSC), Russian Railways (RZD OJSC), Railway Company Cargo Slovakia JSC (ZSSK Cargo), O’zbekiston temir yo’llari” JSC (UTI), Ukrainian Railways JSC (Ukrzaliznytsia), Estonian Railway (EVR), as well as representatives of the OSJD Committee.

The participants of the meeting discussed and considered amendment and change proposals to the PGW Agreement submitted by the OSJD Committee and BC, MAV CJSC, RCH CJSC, KZH, KRG, LDZ Cargo, LTG, PKP Cargo, RZD OJSC, TDZ, UTI, Ukrzaliznytsia JSC and EVR being Parties to the PGW-Agreement.

The above-mentioned proposals related to

- the text of the PGV Agreement,

- the Appendix F to the PGV Agreement “Request for accession to the PGV Agreement”;

- the Appendix B to the PGV Agreement with regard to point 4.2 of paragraph 4 “Conditions for handover of wagons ”, point 5.3 of paragraph 5 “Repair of defective wagon”, paragraph 11 “Liability scope of Parties to the Agreement”;

- the Appendix 1 to the PGV with regard to points 11.4 of paragraph 11 “Wagon body and tank wagon”, points 12.15 of paragraph 12 “Signs and inscriptions” as well as to points 13.3 of paragraph 13 “Periodic maintenance of wagon”;

- the Appendix 36 to the PGV “Wagon label”.

After detailed discussion of submitted proposals and ideas presented for debate the participants underlined necessity to discuss further

- the amendments and changes with regard to the liability of railway undertakings;

- the introduction of new provisions concerning marking signs and stamps into Section 12 “Signs and inscriptions” of the Appendix 1 to the PGW;

- clarification of text (more precise wording) of sub-point 13.3 of the Appendix 1 to the PGW with regard to inscriptions, stamps and marking signs to be put on bolsters of wagons of different gauge after its periodic maintenance;

- inclusion of text of point 5.3 of Appendix B to the PGV Agreement into appropriate Section of the PGV (as far as possible).

The participants of the meeting were also informed by Russian Railways OJSC about the new amendment proposals to revise the charge rates for use of freight wagons and wagon bogies only once per three years and not annually as for the time being. The Russian Railways also announced that as of 2025 it stops to be leading performer for calculation of charge rates.

Finally, the Chairman of the meeting informed the participants about the request made by CFR Marfa (Romania) to discuss at the meeting the missing provisions on allowable distance between outer sides of wheel rim to be measured between two points situated 10 mm beyond the wheel rolling circle. During the discussion the participants of the meeting underlined that the actual technical wheelsets requirements are set out in the Appendix 1 to the PGV (see point 2). Therefore, the participants of the meeting asked CFR Marfa to submit its proposals on this issue (specify the allowable distance between outer sides of wheel rim) to the OSJD Committee.