Learning Material-Railway Transport

Pixelci / iStock.
com
Learning Materials on
Railway Transport
Transport Corridors
Learning Materials
on
Railway Transport
December 2020
The learning materials were developed for capacity building activities to strengthen subregional
connectivity in East and North-East Asia through effective economic corridor management. ESCAP East
and North-East Asia Office worked with Mr. Goran Andreev under the supervision of Mr. Sandeep Raj Jain,
Economic Affairs Officer, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section (TCLS), ESCAP Transport Division in
developing the learning materials.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations Secretariat. The opinions, figures and estimates set forth in this document are the
responsibility of the authors and should not necessarily be considered as reflecting the views or carrying the
endorsement of the United Nations. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this
document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United
Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the
delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Mention of firm names and commercial products does not imply
their endorsement by the United Nations. The boundaries and names shown, and the designations used on
the maps do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. This document is issued
without formal editing.
2
Learning Materials on Railway Transport
Objectives and Content

The overall objective of the training is to provide introduction on emerging trends in
international railway transport and to highlight the potential for facilitation of border crossing by
rail. It aims to provide a strong understanding of the concepts of electronic information exchange
and use of new technologies for increased efficiency and security in organization border crossing
activities. The module will discuss legal, technical and operational aspects of international railway
transport and related border controls, including options for coordination on corridor level.
The training aims to expand the understanding on the main elements of international railway
transport:
• Emerging trends in international railway transport (sustainability, international connectivity,

overall logistics solutions, reliability and resilience)
• Enhancing interoperability for facilitation of international railway transport
• Electronic information exchange for facilitation of border crossing by rail (between railways
and among railways and control authorities, Case study example)
• Use of new technologies for efficient and secure border crossing by rail
• Facilitation of Customs transit procedures for international railway transport (use of railway
consignment note as a Customs document, existing practices and potential for development
of new international Customs transit arrangement for railway transport)
• Joint border controls and opportunities to streamline border crossing by rail (coordination
between railways and control authorities, use of single window facilities, and single stop
inspections)
• Corridor management mechanism for railway transport (existing experiences and key issues
to be and addressed)
3
Learning Outcomes
After completing this training module and having consulted the recommended and reference
readings, you will be able to:
• Understand the emerging trends in international railway transport and the potential for
railway transport facilitation based on enhanced interoperability
• Recognize the importance of digitalization and electronic information exchange for facilitation
of border crossing by rail
• Comprehend solutions for use of new technologies and organization of joint controls to
streamline border crossing activities
• Recognize the requirements of Customs transit procedures and possibility for introduction
of new international railway Customs transit arrangement(s) based on unified railway
consignment note
• Corelate key issues for facilitation of international railway transport with options for
coordination on corridor level.
Reference Readings
• ESCAP, 2018, Electronic Information Exchange Systems in Rail Freight Transport.
https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Electronic%20Information%20Exchange%20
System%20for%20Railway%20Freight.pdf
• ESCAP, 2018, Study on enhancing interoperability for facilitation of international railway
transport.
https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Study%20on%20enhancing%20interoperability%20
for%20Facilitation%20of%20International%20Rail%20Transport.pdf
ESCAP, 2018, Study on border crossing practices in international railway transport.
• https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Study%20on%20Railway%20Border%20
crossings%2046218.pdf
• ESCAP, 2017, Information Technology for Seamless Rail-Based Intermodal Transport Services,
2017.
https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/IT%20for%20Intermodal%20Transport.pdf
4
• UIC, March 2020, Eurasian Corridors: Development Potential – Report.

https://www.shop-etf.com/en/eurasian-corridors-development-potential-report.html
• ESCAP, December 2019, Review of Sustainable Transport Connectivity in Asia and the Pacific:
Addressing the Challenges for freight transport 2019.
https://www.unescap.org/publications/review-sustainable-transport-connectivity-asia-and-
pacific-addressing-challenges
• ESCAP, September 2019, ESCAP/TARN/WG/2019/3, Policies and issues related to the
development and operationalization of the Trans-Asian Railway network. https://www.
unescap.org/sites/default/files/TARWG_3E_Policies.pdf
• ESCAP, April 2020, Policy Reponses to Covid-19: Transport Connectivity in Asia and the Pacific.
https://www.unescap.org/resources/policy-reponses-covid-19-transport-connectivity-asia-and-
pacific
• ESCAP, 2018, Draft framework for enhancing efficiency of railway border crossings along the
Trans-Asian Railway network and beyond.
https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/3E_Draft%20framework%20for%20enhancing%20
efficiency%20of%20railway%20border%20crossings%20along%20the%20Trans-Asian%20
Railway%20network%20and%20beyond.pdf
• OSJD Leaflets on Coding and Informatics.
https://osjd.org/ru/8953/
• CIT/OSJD, 2019, Specifications for the electronic CIM/SMGS consignment note.
https://www.cit-rail.org/media/files/documentation/freight/cim/e-fb_cim-smgs_en_2019-07-01.
pdf?cid=98696
• Annex 9 on Facilitation of border crossing procedures for international rail freight of the
International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (1982).
https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/conventn/ECE-TRANS-55r2e.pdf
• WCO Revised Kyoto Convention
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/instrument-and-tools/conventions/pf_revised_
kyoto_conv.aspx
• WCO Safe Framework of Standards.
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/instrument-and-tools/frameworks-of-standards/
safe_package.aspx
5
• WCO Data Model.
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/instrument-and-tools/tools/data-model.aspx
• The Convention of 20 May 1987 on a common transit procedure (as amended).
• European Commission, May 2019, Transit Manual Amendment (Goods Carried by Rail).
https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/sites/taxation/files/union-common-transit-goods-
carried-by-rail_en.pdf
• CER, EIM, RFCs, December 2015, Sector Input Paper - Rail Freight Corridors: Creating
harmonized approaches and unified services for the customer potential revision of the rail
freight Regulation 913/2010/EU
http://www.cer.be/sites/default/files/publication/Corridor_Input_Paper_CER_EIM_RFCs_
final_20151203.pdf
• EU Rail Freight Corridors
https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/rail/infrastructures/rail_freight_oriented_network_en
6
1 Emerging trends in international railway transport..................................................................................................... 9

1.1 Railways as a part of sustainable economy ..................................................................................................... 9
1.2 Railways as a basis for international connectivity .......................................................................................10
1.3 Railways as a part of overall logistics solutions.............................................................................................11
1.4 Reliability and resilience of railways....................................................................................................................12
2 Enhancing interoperability for facilitation of international railway transport................................................................13

2.1 Technical interoperability..........................................................................................................................................13
2.2 Legal interoperability ..................................................................................................................................................15
2.3 Operational interoperability....................................................................................................................................15
3 Electronic information exchange for facilitation of border crossing by rail .............................................................. 16

3.1 Between railways ...........................................................................................................................................................16
3.2 Among railways and control authorities ..........................................................................................................19
4 Use of new technologies for efficient and secure border crossing by rail ...................................................... 22
4.1 Automated and non-intrusive inspections.....................................................................................................22
4.2. Electronic tracking for secure border crossing ............................................................................................25
5 Facilitation of Customs transit procedures for international railway transport......................................................... 28

5.1 Use of railway consignment note as a Customs document .................................................................28
5.2 Potential for new international Customs transit arrangement for railway transport................................31
6 Joint border controls and streamlined border crossing.......................................................................................... 33

6.1 Joint border control and use of single window facilities within a country ...................................34
6.2 Single stop joint border crossing and crossing the border without stopping ...........................38
7
7 Corridor management mechanism for railway transport ...................................................................................... 40
Case Study Electronic information exchange between railways and

Customs in Russian Federation and INTERTRAN Project ................................................................. 46
Case Study Border crossing at Rezekne railway station (Latvia)........................................................................... 53
Figure 1. Cross-border exchange of electronic documents between JSC RZD and

AO NK KTZ ............................................................................................................................................................18
Figure 2. Estimation of interoperability and e-interoperability input to
Euro-Asian rail freight transit traffic under “the best rail case” option.................................21
Figure 3. Automated inspection system ..................................................................................................................23
Figure 4. Secure Cross Border Railway Transport Concept (multiple country option)...................26
Figure 5. Example of electronic information exchange under the concept of
new International Railways Customs Transit System (distributed solution) ...................32
Figure 6. Single window facility for railway transport ......................................................................................35
Figure 7. Joint border crossing stations with single stop inspection (at entry)..................................38
Figure 8. EU Rail Freight Corridors governance structure ..............................................................................42
Figure 9. Concept of corridor management mechanism for railway transport.................................44
Figure 10. Electronic information interaction between FCS of
Russia and JSC RZD(latest paperless technology developments) ......................................46
Figure 11. Information flows with electronic interaction between RZD and FCS of Russia........47
Figure 12. INTERTRAN pilot project on Yokohama - Vladivostok/Moscow route..............................51
Figure 13. Average time reduction due to document processing improvements ..........................52
8 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

1 Emerging trends in international railway transport
Each international railway corridor has its own specific characteristics with regard to the
configuration and operational readiness. Despite existing divergence, similar drivers shape the
development of railway transport (e.g. continued economic development and growth of regional/global
trade; competitiveness in relation to other modes of transport; employment of new solutions based on
technological advancements, regulatory reforms etc.). Identification of changes and factors that will impact
the railway transport environment and demand is a complex endeavor, which requires to consider the key
emerging trends in international railway transport, in addition to the specific corridor/national characteristics.
1.1 Railways as a part of sustainable economy
With estimated significant growth of demand for transport in future, and in order to support
development of sustainable economy, it becomes imperative for policymakers to address the adverse effects
of transport. Transport and logistics account for a significant portion of total energy use (in many countries
upward of 40%) and a correspondingly large share of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Some estimates
indicate that while railways account for about 8% of passenger transport activity, and 28% of surface freight
transport activity, the railway transport is producing only about 3% of global transport CO2 emissions (SLoCaT,
Transport and Climate Change Global Status Report, 2018). With the negative externalities becoming so
evident, more environmentally friendly modes of transport, such as railway, are receiving increased attention.
Box 1 Sustainability advantages of railway transport in comparison to road transport
•6 times lower specific energy consumption (due to physical characteristic and electrification)
•85 times lower external costs related to traffic accidents
•6-9 times lower CO2 emissions
•6 times lower overall external costs per 1,000 ton-km (7.9 EUR vs. 50.5 EUR for road transport)
(Source: Rail Freight Forward, White paper: 30 by 2030 - Rail freight strategy to boost modal shift, 2018)
Even though the railway transport has much lower external costs if compared with road transport
that is not reflected by the transport prices, and the railways are put at disadvantage because many of higher
external costs relevant to road transport (e.g. related to safety, accidents, climate change, pollution) are
effectively borne by the society.
9
Many countries are developing policies regarding railways as a part of sustainable economy that
are not only focused on reduction of CO2 emissions but equally considering the economic, social and overall
sustainable dimension from development of the railway transport, which have resulted in:
a) shift-to-rail initiatives, (determined by the available railway infrastructure and focused on smart
and client-oriented railway solutions, which improve cost-effectives and competitiveness of railway transport
operations through innovation);
b) development and application of green technologies;
c) new financial instruments used for financing of railway projects.
Read Learn more about European Shift2Rail framework formally established as a PPP that includes over
80 projects launched over last 5 years, aimed at better coordination of research and innovation in rail
sector(https://shift2rail.org/).
Watch Rail Freight Forward video advocating reduction of negative effects of mobility and freight
traffic(https://youtu.be/6l-RsjSiqo0).
Note Please share your views on the following:

•What are the policies of Mongolia with regard to railways as a part of sustainable economy?
•Could you briefly describe some related initiatives/projects already launched?
•What are the lessons learned from such projects?
1.2 Railways as a basis for international connectivity
The connectivity could be observed as a set of interconnected nodes in the network and it could
be evaluated based on how well any node is connected to all other nodes in the network. Two interlinked
dimensions of international railway connectivity include:
• “hard” part represented as physical (infrastructural) connectivity, which could be achieved via
construction of new railway infrastructure and projects for upgrade of existing infrastructure (this
part is not addressed within this training module), and
• “soft” part represented as operational connectivity, which includes access to railway services,
interoperability, and facilitation of cross-border railway operations and regulatory controls of
border crossing agencies (e.g. Customs, border control, sanitary and quarantine agencies).

There are many international and bilateral instruments which are enabling and creating more
favorable environment for increased connectivity. Some of them are focused exclusively on railway transport,
and some are more general and include relevant policies for railway transport. The number of countries
participating in international connectivity initiatives is continuously growing creating more favourable
environment for realization of coherent connectivity policies.
Box 2 Examples of instruments and initiatives that support international connectivity
•Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network (2009)

•Belt and Road Initiative (launched by China in 2013)
•Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) coordinated (agreed) transport policies
•Program of China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor (June 2016)
•Bilateral railway transport / transit agreements (Mongolia – China / Mongolia – Russian Federation)
•International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (1982) (Annex 9 on
•Facilitation of border crossing procedures for international rail freight)
•WCO Revised Kyoto Convention (1999)
Some of the key issues related to operational connectivity are interoperability, including
e-interoperability, and facilitation of border crossing procedures. National authorities and railway companies
have intensified their efforts to assure faster procedures by removing existing so-called soft constraints. Key
issues under development are international information exchange, Customs - railways electronic interactions;
pre-arrival information; simplified customs and control procedures.
1.3 Railways as a part of overall logistics solutions
One of the most important change required pertaining to rail freight transport, is to establish its
role as part of the overall logistics solution. Assured traditional markets led railways to focus more on building
infrastructure than on understanding changing of markets and customer requirements. Focus on operational
efficiency and a holistic view of the supply chain from the perspective of various stakeholders, such as
shippers, freight forwarders and third-party logistics providers can lead to railway freight transport being
perceived and used as a part of the total logistics solutions.
Addressing inefficiencies of fragmented networks could lead to reduced overall transport cost from
origin to destination. Integrated planning and investment in freight transport infrastructure could reduce
inefficiencies that have contributed to increased logistics costs. That could support increased use of railway
11
transport for the rising demand for freight transport and changing production patterns. The railways would
immensely benefit from building strategic partnerships with key shippers, freight forwarders and third-party
logistics providers, either through affiliated companies or by forging other mutually acceptable arrangements.
Analysis of the logistics chain and understanding of how railways could offer door-to-door solutions could
open a wide range of opportunities for the railways in the region.
1.4 Reliability and resilience of railways
The reliability of railway operations is considered as key element for increasing the competitiveness
of railways. Over the recent years numerous studies and initiatives were aimed at finding the solutions to
increase the reliability. Two aspects of reliability are being addressed: physical reliability of infrastructure and
operations, as well as non-physical reliability of shipments.
Table 1: Physical and non-physical reliability solutions
Physical reliability Non-physical reliability

•shift from traditional maintenance to predictive •calculation of estimated time of arrival (ETA) with improved
maintenance; accuracy (e.g. use of artificial intelligence (AI));
•automation of mainline and shunting operations, including •e-data exchange, including pre-arrival exchange;
driving; •construc tion of trusted digital ecosystems for
•use of new digital tools for data-driven operations and transportation and cargo data sharing
maintenance: sensors, e-seals, drones, etc.
The resilience of railways was confirmed in dealing with COVID-19 pandemic when many countries
around the globe had to slowdown economic activities and close the borders. The COVID-19 crisis adversely
disrupted international transport connectivity and logistics supply chain networks combining economic
crisis with global health emergency. However, most of the railways managed to preserve or quicky restore
their freight services despite numerous restrictions and challenges. This crisis opened some opportunities in
particular for railway freight transportation (e.g. due to less restrictions at border crossings; higher demand for
fast railway services for under-shipment of goods, medical goods etc.).
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will most probably be long-lasting and railways should
consider reflecting the relevant changes on strategic level and with implementation of specific solutions and
technologies such as: higher predictability and reliability; less dependence on human factor (e.g. with further
digitalization and automation) and less physical interaction; need for further intensive harmonization of

border-crossing issues (to avoid different rules, asynchronous actions); need for establishment of strong cross-
border links and information interchange.
2 Enhancing interoperability for facilitation of international

railway transport
Efficiency of international railway transport along the international railway corridors depends on
the level of interoperability between the sections that are running on individual national railway networks.
Achieving highest possible extent of interoperability could create well-connected railways corridor and enable
seamless movement from origin to destination with minimal interruptions when crossing from one country
to another. The railway interoperability could be analyzed on three layers: technical, legal and operational that
are closely interconnected.
2.1 Technical interoperability
Technical interoperability refers to technical characteristics of railway infrastructure and rolling

stock. That includes track gauge, structure and loading gauge, maximum axle load, train length, signaling and
telecommunication systems, rolling stock technical specifications, etc. Enhanced technical interoperability
may enable superior physical connectivity; however, in order to justify the investments needed it is necessary
to consider the operational effects that could be achieved.
Lack of interoperability due to existence of different track gauge (e.g. 1,520 mm and 1,435 mm
gauge) prevents continued movement of rolling stock across border and requires appropriate technical
solutions to be applied. Dealing with break of gauge could be time consuming and it could contribute to
delays at border crossings. Increasing efficiency in dealing with brake of gauge is particularly important for
border crossings with high freight traffic volumes. Efficiency of break of gauge operations could be increased
with well-organized transshipment of containers and/or bogie changing; as well as with use of variable-gauge
bogies in some specific instances.
13
Organization of block container trains, with transshipment of containers from wagons of one gauge
to wagons of another (e.g. directly, or indirectly through container yards) is often a preferred option that
provides minimized time for completion of overall border crossing formalities. To further increase efficiency
it is possible to organize direct and simultaneous transshipment of containers on block trains moving in
opposite directions.
Box 3 Key elements for increased efficiency of break of gauge operations
• Sufficient rail tracks with both gauges

• Sufficient capacity of facilities such as side-tracks, platforms, container yards;
• Availability of equipment (e.g. loading/unloading equipment such as gantry cranes and reach-
stackers for transshipment and bogie-changing stations);
• Increased level of automation of loading/unloading, container transfers and shunting;
• Efficient coordination between neighboring railways for organization and optimization of processes;
• Efficient coordination between railways and other stakeholders involved (e.g. wagon owners,
loading/unloading service providers, container yard operators)
• Organization break of gauge operations in parallel with other border crossing railway operations and
control formalities
To mitigate potential inefficiencies due to lack of interoperability of other technical characteristics

(e.g. returning of wagons or additional re-loading), commonly applicable standards should be clearly agreed
along the corridor and along with efficient operational practices based on advanced information exchange
between the railways concerned.
Read Learn more about enhancing interoperability from ESCAP, 2018, Study on enhancing interoperability
for facilitation of international railway transport
See examples of dealing with break of gauge at border crossings along TAR network at ESCAP,2018,
Study on border crossing practices in international railway transport
Watch New China TV video on Alataw Pass transshipment warehouse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlLVIF2wIQQ

•WhataretheexperiencesofdealingwithbreakofgaugeatErlian(CN)–Zamiin-Ude(MN)
bordercrossing?
•WhatisthestatusofnewtransshipmentZamiin-UdeRegionallogisticpark(benefitsand
remainingchallenges)?

2.2 Legal interoperability
Legal interoperability takes in consideration railway legislative framework of international

arrangements and national legislation in particular contractual obligations and harmonized documentation
across entire railway corridor. Having unified legal railway framework is essential for smooth cross border
movements and reduction of bottlenecks at border crossings; furthermore, it provides a common legal base
for technical and operational requirements.
For example, a common railway consignment note along entire international railway transport
corridor (e.g. CIM/SMGS consignment note for the international railway transport operation that is running
between COTIF and OJSD areas) streamlines the movement across the border crossings where jurisdiction
changes from one legal regime to other, without need for re-consignment and production of new railway
consignment note.
2.3 Operational interoperability
Operational interoperability has two components; first are common railway operational practices
including: harmonized international train timetables, train composition, traffic management, handover of
trains, changing of locomotive and train crew, technical inspections and maintenance of wagons etc. and
second are harmonized operational practices of Customs and other government agencies at the railway
border crossings (e.g. harmonized documents for Customs transit, recognition of Customs control measures
etc.).
Operational interoperability has to be focused on the objective to improve the efficiency and
competitiveness of the railway transport along the corridor. Operational interoperability directly depends on
existing level of technical and legal interoperability. The concept of interoperability is complex, and it contains
several layers, multiple components and large number of interrelated elements. Therefore, the options for
increased interoperability have to be identified and priorities have to be jointly agreed on strategic level
between the countries involved at the international corridors. Implementation of railways interoperability
projects has to be considered under long-term jointly agreed agenda. Several aspects of operational
interoperability are further deliberated in this training manual.
15
3 Electronic information exchange for facilitation of border
crossing by rail
To initiate and complete railway movement across borders it is necessary to meet operational
requirements of the railways involved, as well as regulatory formalities of border agencies (e.g. Customs and
other) in the countries along international railway transport corridors. Presently, at most border crossings
in the region the processes follow manual and paper-based information flow. Information is exchanged by
telephone, faxes, emails and manual hand over of documentation, which results in delays and inefficiency at
the border crossings. Electronic exchange of information between railways and among railways and control
agencies can significantly enhance the efficiency of processes at the border crossings.
3.1 Between railways
Electronic exchange of information between railways (e.g. advance information on consignment

note; estimated time of arrival; list of the wagons to be handed over to the next railways) could streamline the
organization of the processes at railway border crossings. Multilateral and/or bilateral arrangements between
railways on electronic data exchange are necessary to set the parameters and rules for such interchange that
is aimed at simplification and acceleration of border crossing procedures.
The advanced automated information systems support efficient organization of railway transport
and provide a communication interface between railways and their clients, business partners and other
railways undertakings. They are consisted of multiple sub-systems and applications employed on national and
international level to provide web-based client services, to facilitate and optimize railway transport operation
planning, to digitize processing of railway transport documentation, to automate traffic control, to support
transport operations at railway stations and to enable cross-border data exchange. The advanced automated
information systems could obtain necessary information and railway transport documents in electronic
format and minimize inefficient manual data entry input at departure, at border-crossings and at destination
railway stations.
There are three main system solutions for electronic information exchange in international railway
transport as follows:
• solutions based on EU Telematics Applications for Freight - Technical Specification for

Interoperability (TAF-TSI) in European Union and corresponding OTIF Telematics Applications for
Freight - Uniform Technical Prescription (TAF-UTP);
• solutions based on OSJD SMGS agreement and bilateral electronic data interchange (EDI)
agreements; and
• solutions developed under the CIS Council for Railway Transport (CIS CRT) (e.g. the automated
system MESPLAN, managed by the IT center of the CIS CRT used to develop the monthly
consolidated freight loading plan at international level).
The TAF-TSI / TAF-UTP standards enable development of solutions for exchange of railway freight
transport electronic messages between railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, wagon keepers and
other stakeholders. Under TAF-TSI information is exchanged on: consignment note data; allocation of railway
infrastructure capacity (path request); train preparation; train running forecast; movement of wagon and
post trip data. The exchange of railway freight transport electronic messages based on TAF-TSI standards is
operationalized by various IT solutions (applications and products) developed by several organizations.
Box 4 IT tools that support TAF-TSI processes and functions
• ORFEUS - RailData, enables electronic exchange of railway consignment data

• International Service Reliability (ISR) - RailData, offers exchange of movement information for wagons
in international traffic
• Common Components System (CCS) - Rail Net Europe (RNE), offers Common interface, Central
Reference File Database and Certification Authority
• Path Coordination System (PCS) - RNE, for international path request coordination
• Train Information System (TIS) - RNE, supports international train management
• HEROES (H30) - HIT Rail, for advance information exchange on train composition
• Rolling Stock Reference Database RSRD2 – International Union of Wagon Keepers (UIP)
The CIS CRT and OSJD SMGS EDI solutions are based on United Nations/Electronic Data Interchange
for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/EDIFACT) standards. The OSJD supports railway electronic
information exchange by providing a guidance with numerous OSJD Leaflets on Coding and Informatics.
Among other, the OSJD leaflets provide details on harmonized rules on exchange of data on movement
of trains; library of standard electronic messages for international freight traffic under SMGS conditions
in the UN / EDIFACT standards; Model Agreement on electronic data interchange between the national
information systems for freight traffic; principles of organization of information security in the interaction of
17
digital telecommunications networks; recommendations on the use of technology of the trusted third party
to ensure the legal relevance of electronic documents in a cross-border communication; typical technical
specifications of cross-border cooperation between public key infrastructures used by railways.
A set of electronic messages are mutually exchanged between national information systems
of several OSJD railways in the processes of admission and handing over of trains at interstate border-
crossing points that allows tracking of wagons and goods along the whole network. Facilitation of cross-
border operations is supported by electronic exchange of train handover sheets between the CIS and the
neighbouring countries using Automated Traffic Control System (ASOUP) message 4770, and /or UN/EDIFACT
message IFCSUM. In both cases, initial train handover sheets data are being communicated 2-3 hours before
the actual crossing of the border. The communication process between the railway information systems
employs the internet network as well as data transfer systems “Infoset-21” and HERMES.
Figure 1: Cross-border exchange of electronic documents between JSC RZD and AO NK KTZ
Source: OSJD Leaflet R 941-4: Typical technical specifications of cross-border cooperation between public key infrastructures used by railways
operated by member countries of the OSJD (Fig.9 p.41). Available at: https://osjd.org/api/media/resources/11242

The level of electronic data interchange development and percentage of electronic and paperless
document processed varies between different railway administration that are implementing EDI projects.
Such projects usually start with signing of EDI agreement between the railways, and gradually further
implemented with establishing adequate information systems, infrastructure for exchange for electronic
documents with mutual recognition of the electronic signatures, paperless electronic document processing
for movement of empty wagons, and finally paperless electronic document processing for transport of goods.
While some railways managed to cover almost 100 per cent of freight turnover with paperless transactions (e.g.
for the freight traffic between Russia and Belarus) other are continuously working on increasing of EDI usage.
Many challenges remain to harness the full potential of electronic exchange of information along
the international railway corridors. The differences in documentary requirements, classification codes and
various electronic exchange solutions across different railway transport regimes (e.g. COTIF or OSJD) impede
seamless data exchange flows and may burden border crossing processes, increase time and costs, crate
delays and negatively affect the quality and competitiveness of railway transport. To address such challenges,
it is necessary to enable e-interoperability for electronic information exchange between railways.
Read: Learn more about electronic information exchange from ESCAP, 2018, Study on Electronic
information exchange systems in rail freight transport
See examples of railways electronic information exchange systems in ESCAP,2018, Study on border
crossing practices in international railway transport
・WhataretheexperiencesandstatusofelectronicinformationexchangeofUBTZwith
RussianRailwaysandChineseRailways(includinguseofe-signaturetechnologies)?
・Whatarethebenefitsandremainingchallengesofelectronicinformationexchange
betweenrailwaysinyourcountry?
3.2 Among railways and control authorities
Completion of regulatory formalities at railway border crossings requires information and processing
of transport related documents that have to be exchanged among the railways, Customs and other
government agencies (e.g. border security guards, immigration, sanitary and phytosanitary, veterinary and
19
food safety agencies). Providing those information and documents in advance and in electronic format, would
result in much more efficient organization of border crossing regulatory formalities.
Advanced systems for electronic information exchange among railways and control agencies
support efficient organization of both railway transport and control formalities. Such systems provide a
communication interface between IT systems of railways, Customs and other control agencies. Ideally, the
available railway transport related data should be electronically transmitted and reused for processing at
Customs and other regulatory IT systems with minimized inefficient manual data entry inputs. The immediate
benefit of electronic information exchange among railways and control agencies is making the regulatory
controls more efficient. That will allow further optimizing of railway processes at border crossings, avoiding
unnecessary delays and increasing reliability of railway transport.
However, the benefits of electronic information exchange among railways and control agencies
cannot be fully harnessed without harmonization with regard to Customs and other border crossing
formalities in a larger context along international railway corridors. Harmonization of Customs and border
crossing formalities for international railway transport should include harmonization of information needed
with regard to:
• submission of advance electronic pre-arrival information (e.g. with regard to cargo declaration) and
organization of Customs and other border crossing regulatory formalities on arrival of goods in
Customs territory; and
• implementation of Customs transit procedures (including potential regional Customs transit), and
simplification of Customs transit procedures for railways as authorized economic operator (AEO).
The WCO standards and recommendations instruments (e.g. WCO RKC, WCO SAFE Framework of
Standards, WCO Data Model) support such harmonization and provide important guidance for harmonized
Customs requirements (e.g. recommendations on data elements, time limits and responsibilities).
Expected challenges for linking electronic information systems of national railways, Customs and
other control agencies include differences of the level of automation and computerization; lack of harmonized
data requirements (e.g. railway transport documents and Customs declarations); legal requirements for
authentication and acceptance of paperless electronic documents; complexity due to extensive regulatory
requirements from multiple authorities.

Read: Case Studies
This would be a good time to read the case studies on Electronic information exchange between
railways and Customs in Russian Federation and
INTERTRAN Project (Refer to case studies section at end of the module)
With increased automation and digitalization introduction of smart solutions based on electronic
information exchange between railways and among railways and control authorities is expected to continue.
Establishing e-interoperability with use of unified electronic CIM/SMGS common consignment note and
interfaces that connect different railway systems, logistics systems and the systems of control authorities will
result in accelerated the border-crossing, reduced time for freight transport by rail, and accordingly contribute
to transportation price reduction.
Figure 2: Estimation of interoperability and e-interoperability input to Euro-Asian rail freight transit traffic under “the best rail
case” option
Source: UIC/IEC, 2020, Eurasian corridors: development potential. Available at: https://uic.org/com/enews/nr/684/article/eurasian-corridors-
development-potential
21
Recent UIC study has analyzed Eurasian corridor development and employed transportation
modelling for volume forecasting and analysis of the elasticity of the demand for rail freight transport in
relation to multiple relevant factors (e.g. digitalization of processes, border crossing improvements, speed of
transit). According to the modelling results, the e-interoperability could contribute to about 48 per cent of the
increased Euro-Asian rail freight transit traffic by 2030. That includes: 42,4 per cent as result of transportation
price reduction and 5,6 percent as result of border crossing acceleration and use of CIM/SMGS consignment
note.
4 Use of new technologies for efficient and secure border

crossing by rail
Railway border crossing processes play a central role in facilitation of international railway transport.
Inefficient railway inspections as well as inefficient regulatory controls may cause lasting and/or occasional
delays. Delays caused by inefficient completion of border crossing formalities could lead to increased
transit time for railway transport and reduced reliability, predictability and punctuality of freight trains. New
technologies could be employed to support efficient and secure border crossing, such as dynamic and
automated inspections while the train is moving; non-intrusive inspections; electronic tracking of cargo and
checking the integrity of containers/wagons with electronic seals.
4.1 Automated and non-intrusive inspections
The new technologies for dynamic and automated inspections, make it possible to collect data
required for completion of required railway related inspections while the train is in motion. The systems used
for dynamic inspections could be individual (e.g. electronic dynamic weighing scales) or multifunctional
intelligent gate systems with a range of components (e.g. cameras; illuminators; scanners; RFID, wheel and
other sensor readers) and several technologies employed (e.g. detecting and imaging; video processing;
optical character reding (OCR); laser and thermal scanning; and various sensor technologies.

Figure 3: Automated inspection system
Source: Lithuanian Railways, 2015 (Kena border crossing)
The data collected with dynamic and automated inspections may include identification of wagon/
container numbers; checking of wagon weight (axle load); detection and calculation of loading gauge
dimensions and automated check of oversized cargo; checking of other security and safety parameters of
cargo and transport means (e.g. overheating, chemical leaking, open doors and other irregularities).
The dynamic and automated inspection systems could be installed directly next to the border line
(or its proximity), at location between the border line and the railway border crossing station (if the railway
station is not located next to the border line) or at the railway border crossing station itself. Installing dynamic
inspection/control systems in vicinity of the railway border crossing allows recording the data as the train
approaches to the railway border crossing station. The data recorded could be automatically transmitted to
the control centre at railway border crossing station prior to the arrival of the train at the station.
The new technologies for non-intrusive inspections (NII), make it possible to organize regulatory
controls and other formalities without disruption of railway processes, opening of containers/wagons
for conducting physical controls, or other manual engagement of control authorities in border crossing
formalities. The systems and technologies used for non-intrusive inspections include systems based on X-ray
and gamma-ray radiography for scanning of containers/wagons, radiation detectors, systems with thermal
image technologies, electronic and video surveillance systems. The systems for non-intrusive inspections
23
could also be dynamic (e.g. dynamic scanners that enable scanning while the train is in motion). Control
authorities should define appropriate risk indicators for better targeting of controls with the use of non-
intrusive inspection tools and significantly reduce the need for physical controls.
The data collected with the technologies for dynamic and automated inspections by railway
stakeholders at border crossings could be also relevant for the regulatory controls of control authorities.
Similarly, the railway stakeholders may require relevant information based on control results from non-
intrusive inspections to better organize railway operations. Therefore, sharing of information based on
dynamic, automated and non-intrusive inspections at border crossings should be encouraged.
Implementation of automated and non-intrusive inspection/control systems could significantly

improve the efficiency of railway technical and commercial inspections as well as of regulatory controls.
For example, at Kena railway border crossing the new technologies installed include dynamic weigh scales
situated at main railroad lines, automated train and wagon commercial inspection system (AKAS system)
and dynamic x-ray scanning system. The use of new technologies has significantly reduced the processing
time on train handling (from 175 minutes to 50 minutes - for goods which are not subject to veterinary and
phytosanitary control). The quality of inspections was improved, with decreased number of employees and
significant financial savings with regard to the operational costs (Lithuanian Railways, 2015).
Read See more details on use of new technologies (e.g. at Kena Lithuania and Rezekne Latvia border
crossings) at ESCAP, 2018, Study on border crossing practices in international railway transport
Watch Lithuanian Railways Video: on Automated train inspection system at Lithuanian Railways Border
Stations (see file: AKAS_LTU.mp4)
・WhatarethenewtechnologiesalreadyemployedatMongolianrailwaybordercrossings?
Howtheycontributetoincreasedefficiencyatbordercrossinginspectionsandcontrols?
・Whatarethepossibilitiesforfurtherimprovementandinformationsharingofdatacollected
fromnewtechnologiesinMongolia?

4.2 Electronic tracking for secure border crossing
The systems for electronic tracking with electronic seals (e-seals) make possible to have real time
monitoring of railway transport movements, within a Customs territory of a country and/or across borders
along international railway corridors. The systems for electronic tracking are using technologies such as
satellite positioning systems, cellular communication systems, radio frequency identification (RFID) enabled
e-seals, advanced web-based software and computer networks. The use of electronic tracking with e-seals
could facilitate cross-border transport while addressing the security concerns of the control authorities. The
e-seal combines physical seal to secure the cargo and mechatronic component to identify the status of the
e-seal and enable checking of its integrity.
The use of e-seals that offer extended security may be:

• mandatory (e.g. for specific high-risk types of goods, that otherwise will be restricted to move
under Customs transit procedure within or across the Customs territory);
• conditional (e.g. for granting greater simplifications in Customs transit such as authorized
consignor/authorize consignee and self-sealing, waiver or reduction of transit guarantee
requirements and facilitation of border crossing formalities); or
• voluntary (e.g. to demonstrate high level of cooperation with Customs authorities and offer higher
security that may result in Customs facilitation and reduced Customs control measures based on
Customs risk assessment).
The integration between the e-seal and the electronic tracking system could be established: a)
directly with the e-seals (if they are designed as multifunctional devices that include e.g. satellite positioning
system (SPS) module and cellular communication system (CCS) module) and/or b) indirectly via additional
device (tracking unit) that has its own SPS module, it is able to communicate with the e-seal (e.g. via RFID
signals) to check their status, and further transmits the messages to the monitoring platform using its own
CCS module. The monitoring platform is supported by web based electronic tracking application software
to track the railway transport movements and the status of the e-seals. The electronic tracking could be
organized in one country only or in several countries along international railway corridors.
25
Figure 4: Secure Cross Border Railway Transport Concept (multiple country option)
Source: Adapted from ESCAP Secure Cross Border Railway Transport Model available at: https://www.unescap.org/resources/secure-cross-
border-transport-model
Electronic tracking systems with e-seals in railway transport have been implemented in several
countries in the region including India and Russian Federation.
Box 5 Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) in India
Using the concept of ESCAP Secure Cross Border Transport Model, the Customs authorities in India
have started the ECTS pilot programme to facilitate the movement of traffic-in-transit of third-party
imports for Nepal (by road and rail). The Nepalese traders (or their Customs brokers) (or transhipment
agents) that wish to use the ECTS facility are required to register and use the website of the Manged
Service Provider (Transecure).
Since April 2018, the ECST system provides a digitalized process for filing of electronic Customs Transit
Declaration (e-CTD). Submission e-CTD is enabled through the ECTS web application, which is linked
to the infrastructure for electronic sealing and GPS based tracking of transit cargo. Accompanied
documents to the e-CTS are uploaded in PDF format (e.g. cope of invoice, packing list).

Printed copies of e-CTD are used to record the ECTS seal number affixed by Customs officer at
departure and to accompany the transport to the Customs office of exit/destination. Un-sealing of
the e-seal is carried out at the exit /destination railway station in India. Reconciliation/discharge of the
transit is done automatically with a "trip-report" generated by the ECTS system and available to the
Customs offices.
The use of ECTS in India expedites Customs clearance and simplifies procedures. The Nepalese
importers can turn around containers in 14 to 21 days, avoid paying demurrage and detention
charges because cargo movement is faster.
Sources: India Customs Public Notice 33/2018; Transecure, 2019 Presentation on Transit of Nepal’s Cargo through
India (ECTS)
In addition to increased security the system for electronic tracking can also provide increased
efficiency if the implementation of the system is accompanied by reduction of paper-based procedures,
and simplification of Customs formalities (e.g. reduction or waiver of guarantee requirements, physical
inspections). Simplified regulatory formalities could contribute to reduced transit time and lower overall costs
(e.g. due to faster turnaround time, lower insurance costs, even though usually there are some additional
costs for the use of e-seals). Developing electronic tracking systems also has some challenges that have to
be addressed such as ownership/operator modes and costs for using of system, technical requirements and
options on equipment to be used (in particular on cross-border level).
Similar electronic tracking systems (without Customs e-seals) that enable increased visibility could
be used by railways to provide commercial services their customers. Such electronic tracking systems may
provide information to the customers on location of their cargo; security of cargo (if non-Customs e-seals
are being used), and condition of the cargo depending on sensor technologies employed (e.g. temperature,
humidity, shock, load).
Read See more details on the use electronic navigation seals (ENS) based on Global Navigation Satellite
Technology (GLONASS) in Russian Federation at the website of Sealing Operator - Digital Platform
Development Center (CRCP): How the System Works

•What is the experience in using electronic tracking systems with e-seals in your country?
•What could be most important benefits and challenges from implementing electronic tracking for
increasing security, efficiency and visibility of railway transport in your country?
27
5 Facilitation of Customs transit procedures for international
railway transport
5.1 Use of railway consignment note as a Customs document
The organization of railway operations and regulatory formalities at border crossings requires
processing of different railway and Customs documents. When the cargo in international railway transport
is crossing from one country to another there is a divergence of formalities with numerous railway transport
documents, as well as Customs documents to be processed. Having multiple different railways and Customs
documents along the international railway transport corridors increases complexity and contributes to
delays. That is most evident in the case of transit where it is necessary to repeat processing of same/similar
documents which may have many same/similar data elements at each border.
Having a common railway consignment note (e.g. CIM/SMGS) streamlines the transport processing
across the border crossing. This railway transport facilitation could also be reflected as a Customs facilitation
since it is possible to use the same railway consignment note (e.g. CIM-SMGS) as a Customs document (as
recommended with Article 4 (7) of the Annex 9 on Facilitation of border crossing procedures for international
rail freight of the International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (1982)).
Railway consignment note (e.g. CIM-SMGS consignment note), could be used as a Customs
document that is necessary to be submitted in accordance with Customs legislation for completion of border
crossing formalities and procedures such as Customs transit by rail. This solution makes it possible to reuse
already available railway data / documents, facilitate submission of Customs transit declaration, avoid the
need for preparation of new Customs transit documents at each border crossing and reduce the involvement
of intermediary parties (e.g. Customs brokers, forwarding agents) in Customs transit formalities.
The railway consignment note could be in paper-based format only; dual paper-based and
electronic format where consignment data could be electronically exchanged in advance (as elaborated in
earlier) or in a fully paperless format (e.g. paperless electronic CIM-SMGS). Railway consignment note in any of
these formats (paper-based, dual, paperless) could be applicable to be used as a Customs transit document.
Even though the railway consignment note is the main railway document that could be used for Customs
document, the data available from other railway documents such as wagon list / container lists and other
information available to the railways may be used under the same concept (reusing railways documents and

data for processing of Customs transit formalities).
In Customs transit procedure the carrier (e.g. the railways or its representative) could be directly
involved as a principal / declarant. The Customs transit declaration could be made by the railways or its
representative that acts as principal/declarant. The WCO recommends that any commercial or transport
document setting out clearly the necessary particulars (e.g. railway consignment note) should be accepted as
the descriptive part of the goods declaration for Customs transit (WCO RKC, Specific Annex E; Ch.1 Customs
Transit - Standard 6). The WCO has also identified the maximum data sets for Customs transit declaration with
the WCO Data Model.
If according to the Customs regulation the Customs transit declaration should be submitted in an
electronic form, then the data elements of such declaration could be based on the data already available in
the railway consignment note. If a paper-based Customs transit declaration is required to be submitted (at
the office of departure, transit offices and the office of destination), then it could be substituted by the railway
consignment note and a separate Customs transit declaration should not be required.
The of use of the transport documents, such as railway consignment note, as a Customs transit
declaration is allowed in the legislation of the Eurasian Economic Union, European Union, and several national
Customs legislation in the region.
Box 6 Simplification of Customs transit by rail in Europe
The Customs transit procedure by rail in accordance with EU Customs regulation and Convention on
a Common Transit Procedure (1987 as amended) could be organized as:
• simplified customs transit procedure with paper based CIM (or CIM/SMGS) consignment note as
a Customs transit declaration, or
• standard Customs transit procedure with paperless electronic Customs transit messages in the
New Computerized Transit System (NCTS), (with paper based CIM (or CIM/SMGS) consignment
note that serves only as a transport document); or
• standard Customs transit procedure with paperless NCTS Customs transit messages, where the
data from the electronic form of the CIM (or CIM/SMGS) consignment note is used to be processed
as a Customs transit declaration by NCTS).
29
Presently with the European simplified Customs transit procedure, the rail operators are mostly
using paper based CIM (or CIM/SMGS) consignment note instead of the standard paperless EU
NCTS declaration. Customs processing of the paper-based consignment note is minimal, and the
rail operators are required to make the records held at their accounting offices, available for Customs
control purposes.
See more details at: European Commission, May 2019, Transit Manual Amendment (Goods Carried by Rail)
Box 7 Simplification of Customs transit by rail in Turkey
In 2016, Turkish Railways (TCDD Taşımacılık A.Ş.) was authorized by the Turkish Customs to use
simplified procedures for the Customs transit procedure in transport by rail based on the provisions
of Turkish Customs legislation and the Convention on Common Transit Procedure. For the simplified
procedure for Customs transit by rail in Turkey in addition to the paper based CIM consignment note,
there is an electronic data exchange with the Turkish Customs authorities.
The Turkish railways (or their representative) have to submit to the Customs authorities an entry
summary declaration for the goods to be brought into the Customs territory of Turkey. Arrival
notification has to be submitted upon arrival of the train. The entry summary declaration and arrival
notification are submitted electronically to the Customs authorities at the border crossing. The
Customs authorities have to approve the summary declaration and arrival notification following the
comparison of the electronically submitted information with the information from the paper based
CIM consignment note.
For the processing of Customs transit operation within Turkey (e.g. from the border crossing Customs
office to the inland destination Customs office) electronic transit notice for each wagon has to be
submitted by the railways, before departure of the train. The transit notice contains only minimal
information: wagon number, CIM consignment note number, the planned shipment date, Customs
office of departure, and Customs office of destination. The transit notice is submitted to the Customs
IT system using electronic signature technology.
The information on accepted transit notice is also available at the departure and destination Customs
offices. The registration number has to be written on the paper based CIM consignment note, which
has to be labelled/stamped with a green pictogram that indicates a transport carried out under
simplified railway procedure. Additional Customs transit declaration is not required. Future project
activities of fully paperless electronic entry summary declaration are expected to reduce the time
needed for Customs formalities for entry customs formalities from 3 minutes to 1 minute per wagon.
Sources: Turkish Customs (2018; 2019)

5.2 Potential for new international Customs transit arrangement for railway transport
Presently the railway Customs transit procedures are regulated mainly on national or Customs union
level (e.g. EU, EAEU). In order to address the issue with fragmentation of Customs transit operations along
international corridors, due to the absence of broad international instrument on railway Customs transit, it
could be considered to introduce a new international arrangement(s) on railway Customs transit along TAR
network and beyond.
The concept on new international railway Customs transit system could be based on:
• Use of harmonized railway consignment note (e.g. CIM/SMGS) as a Customs transit declaration
(paper-based / electronic);
• Electronic information exchange of railway Consignment note between railways (R2R), electronic
information exchange among railway and Customs (R2C) on pre-arrival information / Customs
transit declaration;
• Simplifications for railways as an authorized economic operator, including possibility for waiver of
Customs transit guarantee;
• Harmonization of Customs transit procedures at Customs offices of departure, transit and
destination at national / Customs union / international level as much as possible;
• International cooperation between the railways and between Customs (e.g. mutual assistance
regarding investigation of infringements and irregularities if needed).
The concept on new international railway customs transit system could be implemented as a
single instrument, or due to complexity of such arrangement as a combination of framework agreement
with several multilateral bilateral arrangements (e.g. an umbrella solution that could potentially harmonize
EU, EAEU, ASEAN and other multilateral/bilateral arrangements). The option of umbrella solution could be
focused only on railway transport or it could have a larger platform that covers Customs transit in all modes of
transport including rail. Flexible solutions are possible that allow minimized fragmentation of Customs transit
procedures even without creating a single automated international railway Customs transit system.
31
Figure 5: Example of electronic information exchange under the concept of new International Railways Customs Transit System
(distributed solution)
Country A Country B, C Country D

Customs
Customs Customs
No Transit No Transit No Transit Information
Information Information
Guarantee Guarantee Guarantee System
System System
Customs Customs Customs Customs Customs Customs

ECTD Office of Office of exit Office of entry Office of exit Office of entry Office of
departure (en route) (en route) (en route) (en route) destination
•Risk •Risk •Risk

assessment assessment assessment
Record Record No Customs Record Record

the exit the entry Formalities the exit the entry
Departure Arrival Arrival Arrival Destination

Exit
Notification Notification Notification Notification Notification
Notification
Customs
Forwarding control Access to
Station Railway’s Customs
Systems control
R2R key messages
CIM/SMGS CIM/SMGS CIM/SMGS

CIM/SMGS CIM/SMGS CIM/SMGS
Railway Seals
No Customs Seals
International Customs Transit
Challenges that have to be addressed include redesign/simplification of procedures and

documentary requirements, harmonization of data elements on national and cross-border level and
establishing interfaces for linkages between railways and Customs IT systems. With sufficient harmonization
and standardization achieved based on commonly agreed concept, it is possible to still have distinctive
Customs transit systems that offer streamlined harmonized and distributed Customs transit solution based on
common railway consignment note as a Customs transit declaration.
Using the railway consignment note (in particular unified CIM-SMGS consignment note) as a
Customs declaration, streamlines Customs formalities and procedures (in particular Customs transit). Reusing
of railway transport documents and other available data, and electronic information exchange of Customs
transit data based on railway consignment note enables efficient completion of Customs formalities.
Streamlined and simplified border crossing processing (as a result of using railway consignment note as a
Customs document), could contribute to reduction of unnecessary delays and ultimately to reduction of the
time and costs for completion of international railway transport operations.

Read: For Customs transit by rail in Russian Federation see the case studies on Electronic information
exchange between railways and Customs in Russian Federation and INTERTRAN Project
(Refer to case studies section at end of the module)
See more details and examples on facilitation of Customs transit by rail at
ESCAP, 2018, Study on border crossing practices in international railway transport

・What is the experience in using railway consignment note as Customs transit declaration in your
country? Is it possible to further facilitate organization of Customs transit on national level?
・What are your views on the concept of a new International Railways Customs Transit System?
6 Joint border controls and streamlined border crossing
Railway border crossings are bottlenecks, where railways and other related stakeholders have
to interact between themselves and with control authorities (Customs and other) to complete necessary
formalities. Some of the factors that lead to inordinate delays are inefficient organization of border crossing
operations, lack of coordination, exchange and processing of paper-based documents, lengthy and
uncoordinated regulatory controls of Customs and other government agencies. Introduction of smart
solutions such as electronic information exchange, new technologies for efficient and secure border crossing,
efficient break of gauge operations, automation of loading/unloading, use railway consignment note as a
Customs document are addressing those challenges.
Implementation of such smart solutions improve the level of coordination between the stakeholders
and may contribute to reorganization of border controls and processes within the country (e.g. joint border
controls and use of single window facilities) and across borders (e.g. with development of single stop joint
border controls) that could further streamline the movement across borders.
33
6.1 Joint border control and use of single window facilities within a country
Improved coordination and joint border inspections/controls at border crossings, organized

between railways and regulatory agencies (e.g. Customs, border security and immigration, transport, sanitary,
phytosanitary, veterinary, food safety and other inspections) are key requirement for increased efficiency of
movements across the borders.
The railways in the region in general operate only in their own country, which requires change of
locomotive/staff to be organized at one of the railway border stations as agreed between neighbouring
countries. In accordance with legal requirements and operation rules, the handover process at that border
interchange station consists of railway commercial and technical inspections.
Apart from jointly agreed handover process, the railways and regulatory authorities at the two
neighboring border stations have separate border crossing procedures (railway and regulatory) and
separately conduct inspections/controls (railway and regulatory). The railway inspections and regulatory
controls are organized in sequential manner first at the exit border crossing station in one country (first stop)
and then at entry border crossing station in other country (second stop).
Joint border inspections/controls within a country are organized at many existing border crossings.
Coordination and joint border inspections/controls between railways and regulatory agencies within the
country at each of the border crossing stops (separately in exit country and separately in entry country) could
take different forms such as: a) transfer of control responsibilities and b) joint inspection teams.
To avoid large number of regulatory agencies at railway border crossing stations, it is possible to
transfer some of the control responsibilities to a designated agency (e.g. Customs). Reduced number of
control authorities at the railway border crossings increases the efficiency in organization of border controls.
The Customs and other control authorities (border security and immigration, transport, sanitary,
phytosanitary, veterinary, food safety) can conduct control activities jointly, or independently and
simultaneously, at one location at the railway border crossing station (e.g. at station side-tacks, Customs yard,
or at dedicated side-tracks for veterinary/phytosanitary control).
Railway and regulatory inspections could be coordinated and conducted jointly. Coordination and
joint railway and regulatory inspections/controls could reduce delays and streamline the border crossing
control process. Efficient coordination among railways and border control authorities may include exchange
of information in electronic format and joint use of surveillance and control equipment.

Box 8 Joint Border Controls in Russian Federation
・Typical border crossing controls are organized under “single window” principle, where the
Customs authorities are empowered for a first level examination of the documents in the field of
sanitary-quarantine, veterinary and phytosanitary control. Customs authorities coordinate with
other relevant state control authorities if additional controls (other than first level examination of
documents) are required.
・Initial inspection on arriving train is organized jointly with a commission that includes Customs,
border guards and railway station staff.
Source: ESCAP (2018), Study on Border Crossing Practices in International Railway Transport
Use of single window facility for railway transport facilitates and enhances coordination of railways,
other related stakeholders and regulatory authorities. The railway transport electronic single window could
use modern technologies and a neutral platform to receive and store relevant information from multiple
sources e.g. railways, freight forwarding agents, consignors/consignees, automatic control equipment and
dynamic scanners employed at border stations. The system should support interconnection with multiple
information systems such as those of railways, Customs and other government agencies and expedite their
formalities to release transport means and goods at the border crossing.
Figure 6: Single window facility for railway transport
Source: ESCAP, 2018, Draft framework for enhancing efficiency of railway border crossings along the TARN and beyond
35
Introduction of railway transport electronic single window and linking railway information systems
with the systems of other regulatory agencies, would lead to more efficient information exchange. In
particular, it would alleviate the need for resubmission of similar information and contribute to smooth cross-
border operations and a reduction in delays at railway border crossings. It would also aid risk management
and, accordingly, enhance the efficiency of the controls conducted by Customs and other government
agencies.
If there is already developed national single window facility in the country, linking railway
information systems in order to support railway border crossing processes could be considered. The railway
transport electronic single window primarily supports joint border crossing controls within the country (and
potentially it could be expanded to support coordination of border crossing formalities on cross-border level).
More comprehensive regulatory single windows solutions may include all modes of transport and
additionally it could be linked/integrated with digital logistics platforms that cover business-to-business (B2B)
transport related information exchange. Some of the B2B data could be re-used for electronic information
exchange between busines and government agencies (B2G, G2B) (e.g. Customs, transport authorities).
Box 9: National Transport and Logistics Public Information Platform (LOGINK) in China
The LOGINK platform in China was developed to help business partners exchange and share logistics
information across the entire supply chain. The platform provides services through its portal on
Internet. The system interfaces with systems of government authorities (e.g. Customs) and commercial
logistics information platform for all modes of transport including railways.
Government departments and business companies can exchange data exchange for regulation
purposes (G2B, B2G) and business requirements (B2B) or make information queries such as transport
status based on information resource directories and catalog maintained by LOGINK.
LOGINK provides public information services such as carrier registration, regulation compliance and
violation information. It also provides other information services such as e-booking, freight rates
inquiry, tracking, electronic waybill through connection to railway departments, as well as services like
Customs clearance through link or interface with Customs departments.
The LOGINK is connected via NEAL-NET (North East Asia Logistics Information Service Network) to the
logistics platforms in Japan (COLINS) and Republic of Korea (SPIDC).
Source: ESCAP, 2019, Regional Study: The use of Logistics Information Systems for increased efficiency and
effectiveness

Read: Learn more about development of Single windows and logistics/transport digital platforms from
ESCAP Studies and Instruments:
・Study on Integration of Transport Requirements in Single Window Environment (2016)

・Cross-Border Single Window Interoperability: A Managerial Guide (2018)
・Regional Study: The use of Logistics Information Systems for increased efficiency and
effectiveness (2016)
・Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific
(2016)
・What is the experience of railways related joint border controls, single window facilities and logistics
platforms in your country?
・What are the benefits / challenges for the railways in Mongolia to participate in such activities?
37
6.2 Single stop joint border crossing and crossing the border without stopping
Single stop inspections at joint border crossing is a solution where only one common border
station between the neighboring countries is designated as a joint border control checkpoint. The
arrangements on joint border crossing station are normally part of bilateral agreement that details formalities
for organization of railway processes and control procedures (e.g. customs, sanitary, food safety, veterinary,
phytosanitary inspections).
At the designated joint border crossing station, the change of locomotive/staff will be organized. The
railways and control authorities from both countries may conduct the necessary inspections/controls jointly
at a common inspection area or independently (sequentially or in parallel) at other dedicated inspection areas
located at the joint border crossing station (e.g. only at exit or at the entry border crossing station).
If the border crossing is a break-of-gauge point, then all break of gauge operations (e.g.
transhipment of containers and/or change of bogies) should be organized at the same joint border crossing
station as well. The trains do not have to stop at the other border station at all.
Figure 7: Joint border crossing stations with single stop inspection (at entry)

Joint border railway stations are very rare, despite the huge potential they offer for streamlining
of border crossing procedures and reduction of time to cross the borders by rail. An example of single stop
border crossing is Padang Besar in Malaysia (for passenger railway transport only), where all railways and
regulatory controls are conducted (Customs and immigration) and the passenger trains do not have to stop at
the border crossing in neighbouring Thailand.
Potentially it could be possible to organize crossing the border without stopping at the border
stations. In such case it will be required to have common regulatory procedures and controls organized only
at departure and destination stations, in parallel with operational procedures for railway traffic management.
The trains do not have to stop at the border stations at all. The railway undertakings should be able to operate
on the networks on both neighboring countries in this case. The solution for crossing the border without
stopping may be achievable for the unions of countries which are developing common railway transport
area and have common Customs territory. Such arrangements are very demanding to made and therefore
extremely rare and limited. For example, for some railway border crossing movements between Norway and
Sweden there is no need for the trains to stop at the border at all. Customs authorities from both countries are
empowered to perform Customs control on behalf of each other. Such control will take place at the first inland
station in Norway or in Sweden where the train has to stop.
Read: See more details and examples on joint border controls at ESCAP, 2018, Study on border crossing
practices in international railway transport
Case Study
This would be a good time to read the case study on Border crossing at Rezekne railway station
(Latvia) that shows possibility to minimize the controls at the border station and transfer main railway
operations and regulatory controls to the next major inland departure/destination railway station.
(Refer to case studies section at end of the module)
39
7 Corridor management mechanism for railway transport
The railways in the region have their own strategies in endeavour to address the numerous
challenges to become competitive. We have identified many common goals and potential solutions for
some of the challenges (e.g. digitalization and automation, electronic information exchange, use of new
technologies, use of railway consignment note as a Customs document, joint border controls). However, the
way of defining such common solutions and the scope for their implementation could substantially differ
from country to country, depending on their individual needs, specific characteristics of railway transport
sector and stages of development. Despite the differences that have to be acknowledged, it is necessary to
achieve certain level of harmonization along international railway corridors in order to develop interoperable
solutions that will facilitate movements across the borders.
To minimize uncertainties and difficulties in arrangement of fragmentated railway transport

operations along international railway corridors, it is crucial to nurture harmonized and coordinated approach
with regard to infrastructure development, transport services offered, logistics coordination, trade and
transport facilitation. Harmonization and coordination efforts are needed among all countries involved in the
railway corridor that include railways and their partners and relevant authorities (e.g. Transport, Customs).
There are many institutional arrangements through which these issues can be addressed. In addition
to bilateral, multilateral, sub-regional and international agreements, in some cases specific international
corridor arrangements have been developed that establish formal corridor management mechanisms as a
joint management structure agreed amongst the countries and railways that share a common interest as part
of a specific corridor.
Box 10 Key elements of international corridor arrangements
・Common objectives (e.g. cooperation and coordination, facilitation, competitiveness)

・Legal framework (e.g. bilateral/multilateral/international agreements, MoU, protocols)
・Institutional framework and governance structure of corridor management mechanism (e.g.
Ministerial meeting; Steering committee/Management board; Advisory/Expert groups; Secretariat)
・Responsibilities of different stakeholders involved in the corridor management mechanism
(e.g. composition, frequency of meetings, functions, planning, reporting, and implementation
responsibilities)

Corridor management functions:
・Coordination of planning, financing and development of transport infrastructure

・Consultation, identification and resolution of bottlenecks
・Enhancing legal interoperability and initiating regulatory reforms
・Enhancing technical interoperability and implementation of efficient mitigation solutions
・Enhancing of railway transport operational interoperability
・Harmonization and facilitation of border crossing Customs and other regulatory procedures
・Corridor performance monitoring (transport, logistics, regulatory procedures monitoring)
・Stakeholder coordination, outreach activities and promotion of corridor use
・Capacity building (e.g. technical assistance and studies)
There are several different experiences in railway corridor management around the world (e.g. in
North America, Europe and ESCAP region) that could be studied in search of good practices.
Box 11 European experience in railway corridor management
The establishment of European Rail Freight Corridors (RFC) is regulated at European Union level with
Regulation concerning a European Rail Network for Competitive Freight (Regulation EU 913/2010).
Presently there are 11 operational RFC, and each of them has similar governance structure comprising
of executive board, management board and advisory groups in accordance with the EU regulation.
The European railway transport policies have some specific characteristics of such as separation of
infrastructure managers for the operation of transport services and open access for all licensed railway
operators over entire railway network of the EU. Those characteristics are reflected in the railway
corridor management. For example, a Corridor-One Stop Shop (C-OSS) is establishes at each RFC
which is a joint mechanism of the infrastructure managers responsible for providing a single point of
contact to request and receive answers regarding infrastructure capacity capacity (train pathways) for
international freight trains.
41
Figure 8: EU Rail Freight Corridors governance structure
STEERING COMMIT-
TEE
Source: European Commission, DG MOVE, June 2011; Handbook on the Regulation concerning a European rail network for competitive freight
(Regulation EC 913/2010); (Figure 3.1 – page 21); Available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/modes/rail/infrastructures/doc/erncf_handbook_final_2011_06_30.pdf
The railway corridors in ESCAP region and corridor coordination are much more diverse than
European railway corridors and not necessarily formally structured or covered with a single corridor
arrangement. The examples include:
• New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor (China, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Belarus
and EU members), has a jigsaw of agreements and its own institutional arrangements, committees
and working groups dealing with specific issues. Commercial arrangements for facilitation of
movement across corridor are included (e.g. logistics services by JSC United Transport and Logistics
Company - Eurasian Rail Alliance (UTLC-ERA) jointly owned by Russian Railways, Belarusian Railways
and Kazakhstan Railways);
• The Trans-Siberian route is supported by the non-commercial transport association Coordinating
Council on Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT). The CCTT presently has more than 100 member
societies from 23 countries, including railways of Europe, Asia and the CIS states. The permanent
chairman of CCTT is the President of the Russian Railways. The principal organs of the CCTT are the

Plenary meeting of the CCTT, the CCTT Board, the Secretariat of the CCTT and the Independent
Auditor. The CCTS has several working groups for different activities (e.g. Working group on IT
development; Working group on Harmonization of international transport law and Working group
on increasing the competitiveness of the Trans-Siberian Route);
• China-Mongolia-Russian Federation Economic Corridor, based on several road transport,
railway transport, transit, and Customs agreements. A range of bilateral and trilateral cooperation
arrangements between competent authorities; transport departments; customs departments;
chambers of commerce and industry; local and border cooperation forums; takes form of regular
meetings, various working groups and round tables. There is a comprehensive “Program for
Creating the Economic Corridor China - Mongolia – Russia” (2016) with “List of projects to create an
economic corridor China - Mongolia – Russia” that include railway transport projects;
• Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) corridors, (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China,
Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). ADB
supported program that includes with Corridor Management Units (CMUs) for Designated Rail
Corridors (DRCs) and standardized corridor performance measurement and monitoring (CPMM)
tool;
• International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) (India, Islamic Republic of Iran, and Russian
Federation, later expanded to include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Oman, Azerbaijan and Syria) with Coordination Council and two expert
groups on Commercial and operational maters and Documentation, Customs matters and related
issues;
• ECO Transit Corridors (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan) are based on ECO Transit Transport
Framework agreement.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for corridor management mechanism for railway transport. The
specific characteristics of each individual corridor have to be considered in development of efficient solution
corridor coordination. However, we could argue that the management of an international railway corridor
could be more efficient if it is based on clear, transparent and more permanent structures agreed by the
countries involved.
The concept of structured corridor management mechanism for railway transport may have several
hierarchical levels, e.g.:
43
• Overseeing level, as a highest level in the management structure with authority to set policies and
approve all major decisions related with the realization and operation of the railway corridor (for
example, a Ministerial meeting of the ministers in charge with the railway transport in the countries
of the corridor);
• Executive level, that is fully in charge of the management of the activities on the international
railway corridor (for example a Steering committee or Management board with appointed
managers of the railways infrastructure and/or senior civil servants, with the authority to
represent their government. At this level all activities according with the mandate received by
the policymakers should be coordinated. This level may be supported on administrative level
(e.g. Secretariate) with fully dedicated staff and dedicated contact points from the participating
countries along the corridor;
• Operational level, that may be organized with various advisory and expert groups, with appointed
staff of the national railway companies, and from the representatives of national border crossing
authorities. Permanent and/or ad-hoc working groups or sub-working groups may be established
to address specific issues such as infrastructure development and technical interoperability;
operational interoperability and timetable; legal issues; commercial aspects and principles for
setting tariffs; harmonization and facilitation of border crossing customs procedures and other
regulatory formalities; performance management and operations, information dissemination and
coordination of stakeholders; etc.
Figure 9: Concept of corridor management mechanism for railway transport

Regular consultations with representatives of the transport market, such as forwarding companies,
main customers, and owners of private railway fleet is needed. The consultation under corridor management
mechanism could be organized at all levels of corridor coordination to examine the relevance of on-going
issues and provide the feedback of the market on the operational performance of the railway corridor.
Transparent a comprehensive information on conditions for use of railways transport services along
the international corridor and connected routes has to be easily available to all interested parties. That may
include a specialized corridor website where structured periodical reports are available and regularly updated;
detailed information on infrastructure of the corridor and connected routes are provided; railway transport
services are identified along with intermodal linkages and other related logistics services available; tariff
calculator by route and overview of other fees and charges, as well as documentary requirements are listed;
detailed booking information are provided; linkages to railways and other service providers are given.
Read: Learn more about railway corridor coordination and corridor management mechanisms from:
・ESCAP, Developing Coordination and Institutional Arrangements for the Management of

Intermodal Transport Corridors in the ESCAP Region (2019)
・ESCAP, Learning Material on Transport Corridors (2020)
・COMCEC, Governance of Transport Corridors in OIC Member States: Challenges, Cases and
Policy Lessons (2018)
・European Commission, European Rail Network for Competitive Freight
・What is present experience in corridor coordination along China-Mongolia-Russian Federation

Economic Corridor for railway transport?
・What are the potential and challenges to improve coordination with introduction of more
structured corridor management mechanism?
45
Case Study Electronic information exchange between
railways and Customs in Russian Federation
and INTERTRAN Project
The objective of the case study is to discuss how enhanced digitalization and use of electronic information
exchange between railways and Customs could increase efficiency of processes at border crossing by rail. The
participants will be invited to discuss and elaborate on their views on the potential for increased electronic
information exchange along China-Mongolia-Russian Federation Economic Corridor.
Background information
The JSC Russian Railways (RZD) currently successfully implements information systems that provide
linkages and electronic information exchange between JSC RZD and Federal Customs Service (FCS) of Russian
Federation. The work on electronic information interaction between JSC RZD and FCS of Russian Federation
started with signing of the agreement in 2004, and it was continually upgraded and operationalized in
following years. Latest developments in electronic information interaction are focused on end-to-end
paperless technology for railway transportation in international traffic using electronic documents.
Figure 10: Electronic information interaction between FCS of Russia and JSC RZD(latest paperless technology developments)
Source: Adapted from RZD Presentation, September 2019, Y.Surodin, Current state and prospects for the development of paperless technologies
for the transportation of goods in JSC “Russian Railways”

The JSC RZD exchanges electronic data and documents with the single automated information
system of FCS of Russian Federation (EAIS) through an automated information system of electronic interaction
(AIS EV) as shown in the Figure 11 below. The AIS EV provides data protection and security, as well as
authentication methods that include use of electronic signature. The system maintains databases on sent and
received messages and offers reporting and analysis tools.
Figure 11: Information flows with electronic interaction between RZD and FCS of Russia
Source: adapted from RZD Presentation (V.A.Titov); September 2015 (Gdansk); Application of information technology in cross- border movement
of goods and vehicles in international rail traffic
The AIS EV is linked with several other RZD information systems and applications such as: ETRAN
automated system for preparation and processing of railway transport documents; ASOUP automated system
for operative transport management, ASU PS automated management system of border stations and EASAPR
unified software interface for unified automated system of commercial work in the field of freight transport.
The system is also linked with the portal that enables submission of advanced preliminary information to the
Customs as well as with the automated system of Customs brokers (AS LLC TBC). The system for electronic
interaction facilitates preparation of transport documents and generation of data for Customs authorities (e.g.
reusing data from transport documents, transfer slips on departure/arrival or other relevant declarations and
documents).
47
Lessons learnt
To enable electronic interaction the RZD and the FCS of Russian Federation had to work on complex
issues of providing interoperability of their information systems. The activities for implementation of
communication and data exchange in electronic form included development, test and infrastructure upgrade
for electronic interaction as well as design and test of software for processing of electronic documents. Step-
by-step approach has been taken with continuous expanding of the scope of interactions.
Presently the operationalization of electronic interaction between Russian railways and Customs
authorities in Russian Federations supports electronic information exchange and organization of paperless
Customs formalities e.g. for submission of preliminary information, registration of arrival, temporary storage
and Customs transit. That contributes to reduction of time for Customs procedures at railway checkpoints
and destination stations that in general is not expected take beyond two hours. Currently if the documents
for the goods are submitted electronically, if they are issued without errors, the train could pass the Customs
clearance formalities in 10 minutes, which proves the effectiveness of digital technologies employed.1
Solutions related to electronic information exchange between railways and among railways and
Customs depend on technological requirements, however they require even more intensive institutional
cooperation and harmonization.
Project INTERTRAN
Background information
The INTERTRAN Project on measures for effective development of intermodal transport in the Asia-
Pacific region aims to increase the competitiveness of the railway transport. The project was initiated by
Russian Railways (RZD) in 2017 as one of the projects under the Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly (APRA) of the
International Union of Railways (UIC) project incubator. The INTERTRAN project has been since supported
by international organizations such as UIC, OSJD, International Coordinating Council on Trans-Eurasian
Transportation (CCTT) and ESCAP. The concept of the INTERTRAN project builds on initial ESCAP work on
information technology for seamless rail-based intermodal transport services, conducted in cooperation with
1 Customs gives the go-ahead to digital technology, Interview of Ruslan Davydov, First Deputy Head of the Federal Customs Service of
Russia, on digital technologies, Russian Railways magazine, 04.12.2018. Available at:
http://www.customs.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27040:------------l-r-04122018&catid=26:2011-01-24-14-45-
21&Itemid=1830

CCTT.2 Wide range of stakeholders from private and public sector have been involved in development and
implementation of INTERTRAN project, from Russian Federation, Japan, South Korea, China, Kazakhstan and
Belarus. Prospects for expansion of the project with participation of other countries in the region and Europe
are being explored.
The main initial goals of the INTERTRAN project have been to develop information technology for
electronic information exchange between transportation participants involved in intermodal transport along
international corridors in Asia-Pacific region, and to analyze the performance of intermodal transport using
this information technology.
The INTERTRAN project aims to increase the railway transport competitiveness by:
• enabling electronic interaction between the stockholders at ports and railway stations,
• increasing the use of paperless technology by using fully electronic transport documents,
introducing mobile workstations for paperless processing of related documents and optimizing
railway operations at ports / departure / destination railway stations; and
• employing paperless Customs transit procedures for rail (e.g. using fully electronic transit
declarations and electronic closing of Customs transit procedure).
It should be noted that several transport related documents have been already electronically
processed in Russian Federation before INTERTRAN project, including commercial documents, marine bill of
lading, through bill of lading, GU-12 applications for freight transportation, Customs transit declaration (with
paper-based en-route copy). With the INTERTRAN project electronic processing was further expanded, and
presently up to 30 railway transport documents are converted into paperless electronic format.3
For example, with the INTERTRAN project, the acceptance and delivery inspectors and other
railway technical staff started using mobile workstations for paperless processing of notifications (e.g. GU-
2B notification about completion of loading operation; GU-45uVTs wagon feeding and cleaning memo).
Processing of transport documents in ETRAN system has been further expended (e.g. GU-29uVTs carriage
document). Processing of fully electronic Customs transit declaration (without paper-based copy paper-
2 ESCAP, 2017, Report on Information Technology for Seamless Rail-Based Intermodal Transport Services in Northeast and Central Asia.
Available at:
https://www.unescap.org/resources/information-technology-seamless-rail-based-intermodal-transport-services
3 RZD Presentation, ESCAP and OSJD Virtual Meeting 7-8 July 2020, L. Renne, INTERTRAN
49
based en-route copy) and paperless electronic closing of Customs transit at destination station has been
introduced.4
In the first phase of the INTERTRAN project (2018-2019) intermodal transport in import direction to
Russian Federation was addressed. Information technology for the INTERTRAN project was developed and
the pilot transportation was first tested along Yokohama Port (Japan) - Vladivostok Port (Russian Federation)
- Silikatnaya station (Russian Federation) route. The transport of the first container train with electronic and
paperless technologies under INTERTEAN pilot project was organized on this route in August/September
2019 in cooperation with the JSC RZD as a carrier and the transport group FESCO as a pilot operator.5
Multiple electronic interactions between railway, Customs and other stakeholders could be noted
for the movements under INTERTRAN project. For example, at the entry Vladivostok port/station (Russian
Federation) electronic transport documents are exchanged with port and railway automated systems.
Customs transit procedure by rail in Russian Federation is organized on paperless manner by exchanging of
electronic documents and messages at departure station (Vladivostok) and destination station (Silikatnaya)
(Moscow Railway). The Customs at destination receives arrival notice in advance before arrival of the train.
Upon arrival of the train at destination, the delivery of goods is electronically confirmed, electronic messages with
regard to temporary storage are exchanged and the Customs transport procedure is electronically ended.
Over the one-year period, September 2019 - September 2020, the INTERTRAN technology was
piloted along other routes from Vladivostok port to several other destination stations in Russian Federation
reaching over 6 thousand containers in import traffic from Japan, China and Republic of Korea.
The second phase of the INTERTRAN project (2019-2020) endeavors to enable transit movements
across Russian Federation to other neighboring countries. The transport of the first container train in fully
digital format under INTERTEAN pilot project on the route Ningbo port (China), Vladivostok port/station
(Russian Federation), Kolyadichi station (Belarus) was organized in August/September 2020 in cooperation
with Russian Railways, Belarusian Railways and FESCO transport group.6
4 RZD Presentation, November 2019, K. Allakhverdyan, INTERTRAN Project of APRA UIC
5 Gudok, 5 September 2019, I. Taranec, Digital technologies will reduce the time of formation of shipments five times. Available at:
https://gudok.ru/content/freighttrans/1476123/
6 FESCO website news, 3 September 2020, Russian Railways, Belarusian Railway and FESCO organized the first digital transit container
shipment from China to Europe. Available at:
https://www.fesco.ru/press-center/news/38810/

Lessons learnt
The implementation of INTERTRAN pilot project on Yokohama (Japan) – Vladivostok / Moscow
(Russian Federation) route has shown that with use of paperless technology in cooperation between the
customers, carriers (sea and rail) and regulators (e.g. Customs) and port authorities international intermodal
transportation could be more efficient and the time for cargo handling could be reduced. The time for
processes at entry seaport have been reduced from 5 to 2 days and at destination terminal from 2 to 1 day,
which gives about 4 days of overall time reduction.7
Figure 12: INTERTRAN pilot project on Yokohama - Vladivostok/Moscow route
Source: RZD Presentation, November 2019, K.Allakhverdyan, INTERTRAN Project of APRA UIC
More detailed analysis shows that improved documents processing in transport operations and
Customs procedures has reduced the average time from 3.7 days (before implementation of INTERTRAN in
2017) to 10.2 hours (after implementation of INTERTRAN since August 2019). Major gains have been achieved
in the time for submission and approval of the application (from 24 hours to 1 minute); authentication (from
12 hours to 10 minutes); application for the arrival of the vessel (from 24 hours to 5 hours); submission, release
and transferring of Customs declaration (from 12 hours to 4 hours).8
7 RZD Presentation, November 2019, K.Allakhverdyan, INTERTRAN Project of APRA UIC
8 RZD Presentation, ESCAP and OSJD Virtual Meeting 7-8 July 2020, L. Renne, INTERTRAN
51
Figure 13: Average time reduction due to document processing improvements
Source: RZD Presentation, ESCAP and OSJD Virtual Meeting 7-8 July 2020, L. Renne, INTERTRAN
The INTERTRAN project has shown that with

electronic information exchange and use of paperless
technologies for processing of transport documents and
Customs transit declarations it is possible to significantly reduce
the unproductive time and losses associated with the physical
movements of transport documents, documentation controls and organization of Customs formalities at
ports and railway stations. The INTERTEAN project created seamless environment for information exchange
to ensure digitalization of business processes in railway transport, which increases the attractiveness of rail-
based intermodal services.

Case Study: Border crossing at Rezekne railway station (Latvia)
The objective of the case study is to discuss how the use of new technologies and smart solutions could support
optimization in organization of border crossing processes and streamlined movement across border. The
participants will be invited to discuss and elaborate on their views on the potential of using new technologies and
smart solutions at border crossings along China-Mongolia-Russian Federation Economic Corridor.
Background information9
Latvia and Russian Federation are connected with two railway border crossings Karsava (Latvia) –
Skangali (Russian Federation) and Zilupe (Latvia) – Posin (Russian Federation). The capacities of the Karsava
and Zilupe border crossing stations are limited and insufficient to provide effective dealing with high
volumes of freight. To prevent major bottlenecks at the railway border crossings the Latvian Government has
designated the Rezekne railway station, which has more adequate capacities, to serve as a border crossing
station only in relation to goods moved by freight trains from/to Karsava and Zilupe border crossings. The
Rezekne border crossing station is located about 45 km from border crossing station Karsava and 60 km from
border crossing station Zilupe. The freight trains do not stop at any other railway stations while moving on
sections between Karsava and Rezekne or Zilupe and Rezekne.
Procedures at Karsava (Latvia) and Zilupe (Latvia) border stations

The Karsava and Zilupe border crossing stations in Latvia operate 24 hours and fully process
passenger trains. At the Karsava and Zilupe border crossings there are very limited railways operations on
freight trains because the processing of international railway freight transport is organized in Rezekne railway
border crossing station.
For freight trains only partial border crossing formalities by the control authorities are completed
at Karsava/Zilupe entry border crossing stations. In addition to immigration/passport control for drivers and
staff of the freight trains the Latvian border guard authorities at the Karsava and Zilupe border crossings are
authorized for radiation control and operation of the stationary radiometric gates.
At Karsava and Zilupe border crossings there are only few Customs officers present which in general
only visually inspect the entry/exit of the freight trains without any processing of railways and Customs
9 ESCAP (2018), Study on Border Crossing Practices in International Railway Transport (based on ESCAP/OSJD Study visit findings in 2017)
53
documents. Preliminary information on freight train (submitted directly from the Russian Railways) is available
in electronic form at least two hours before arrival of the train at the railway border crossing.
The Customs authorities at Karsava/Zilupe border crossings operate dynamic weight scales and
dynamic X-ray scanner, which enable collection information on weight and control of the cargo when the
train is moving in slow speed range at the entry of the border crossing. The weight measurements and x-ray
scan images of each wagon are shared electronically with the Customs authorities at Rezekne border crossing
station for risk analysis and selection of wagons for detailed physical control, if necessary.
The stop of the freight trains at the border crossings Karsava or Zilupe for completion of all entry
border-crossing formalities of the border guards and Customs takes about 20-30 minutes.
Upon finalization of entry border crossing formalities, the train as well as the locomotive and the
driver of the Russian Railways are allowed to continue at the Latvian railway infrastructure from the entry
border station to the Rezekne border crossing station where remaining border crossing formalities will be
finalized.
The movement from the entry border crossing Karsava or Zilupe to the Rezekne border crossing
station does not have a status of Customs transit but represents a Customs formality for bringing the goods
entered into the Customs territory to the designated border crossing Customs office.
Railway operations at Rezekne (Latvia) railway station

Before arrival of the train at the Latvian territory the Russian Railways and Latvian Railways exchange
two types of information based on bilateral EDI agreement. First is the information on goods that is provided
upon loading of cargo at the wagon, which can take place several days before arrival of the train (natural
list). Second is the information on composition of the train (as confirmed at the exit border crossing from
neighbouring country) and submitted at least 2 hours in advance, before arrival of the train at the Customs
territory. The second information contains essential data such as: wagon number, weight, code of the goods;
consignee of the goods and indicated time of arrival. The information is exchanged through automated
railways information systems using standardized UN EDIFACT messages.
The information received from the Russian Railways is distributed by the Latvian Railways to the
Latvian Customs and other government authorities at the entry railway border crossing station (e.g. Zilupe)
and at the Rezekne railway station.

An automated commercial inspection system that was installed in 2015 (at location approximately
20 km before the entry to the station), supports commercial handover of the freight trains at Rezekne
station. The automated system provides visual video surveillance and automated platform/wagon number
recognition while the train is moving towards the Rezekne railway station. The video feed and all other
information captured by the system are electronically transmitted to the Rezekne railway station. The use of
the system enables expeditious commercial handover and improves the commercial inspection of wagons
regarding control of load safety compliance, oversize detection and recognition of irregularities.
Commercial handover at the Rezekne railway border crossing station is organized in four steps. First
step is monitoring of the freight train arrival, using the automated commercial inspection system at control
room of the Rezekne station. In this stage the data on train composition (obtained in advance from electronic
information exchange with the Russian Railways) is automatically matched with the platform/wagon
numbers captured by the automated commercial inspection system and any discrepancies are identified; the
video feeds and images received by the automated commercial inspection system are analysed (before arrival
of the train at the station). The arrival of the train at the station is confirmed and commercial inspection and
handover is initiated.
At the second step the paper-based documents received from the train document pouch are
opened for the first time (it should be noted that documents are not opened at entry border crossing
Karasava or Zilupe). The data received in advance from the electronic information exchange with the partner
railways undertakings (natural list) are compared with the data from paper-based documents. The railways
documents are also pared with the information on cargos selected for specialized controls (e.g. phytosanitary
of veterinary inspection), which is received by fax or e-mail from border control agencies.
The third step is preparation for formalities for the principals, where Customs declaration are
prepared and submitted to the Customs office in Rezekne station. The railways can act as a declarant/principal,
e.g. for Customs transit declaration regarding movement from the Rezekne border crossing to the Latvian
ports or any EU country (e.g. to the Customs warehouses in Estonia or Lithuania). Customs declarations are
submitted in electronic form only. The railways and Customs information systems are interfaced to enable
seamless exchange of information.
In 2017 the railways documents and supporting documents have been processed on paper-
based manner, while the empty wagons/containers could be processed in fully paperless manner, only with
exchange of electronic information. As indicated by the railways projects on further expansion of paperless
55
electronic document processing are ongoing.
At the fourth step a handover document is prepared using the railways IT software. Handover
details are checked for the last time, the handover document is printed, signed and delivered physically to
the Russian Railways at corresponding railway station. The Russian Railways in accordance with a bilateral
agreement stamp the handover document and return one copy to the Latvian Railways.
It should be noted that technical inspection of the rolling stock is organized in parallel with the
commercial inspection of the train. This first part of railways operations at Rezekne railway border crossing
that includes all commercial and technical inspections for the handover takes up to 3 hours and 45 minutes.
Customs and other regulatory formalities at Rezekne (Latvia) railway station

Pre-arrival information submitted in electronic form by the railways to the Customs enables risk
assessment before arrival of the train at the Rezekne railway border crossing station. Based on risk assessment
and evaluation of the x-ray scans gathered from dynamic X-ray scanners at the entry border crossing (e.g.
Zilupe) the Customs authorities select wagons for physical inspections.
The data on wagon weight received from pre-arrival information and measurements from dynamic
scales at the entry border crossing (e.g. Zilupe) are automatically matched and in case of any discrepancies
or uncertainties the wagons can be additionally weighed with static scales available at the Rezekne border
crossing.
The pre-arrival information in electronic form is also available to other government agencies (e.g.
phytosanitary of veterinary control authorities), which also use risk assessment to select the wagons for
detailed physical control.
The railways have an authorized economic operator status (authorized consignor and consignee)
that allows them to prepare Customs declarations by themselves and to ask for control to be performed
in other railways stations if necessary. The Customs declarations are submitted through the Rail Freight
Declaration System (DKDS) to the Electronic Customs Data Processing System (EMDAS) that enables electronic
submission of Customs declarations and documents for Customs purposes (e.g. electronic summery
declaration and Customs transit declaration). Customs declarations are processed by Customs Management
Information System (CMIS), which covers several Customs functions, including risk management. Customs IT
systems and interfaced Railways IT systems ensure simplified electronic data exchange between railways and
Customs.

Less than 10 per cent of the goods declared at Rezekne railway border crossing station is subject to
physical inspection. If needed, the wagons selected for physical inspections are shunted to dedicated side
lines for Customs and other specialized controls (e.g. phytosanitary of veterinary control). At the Customs side
lines unloading/loading equipment such as reach stacker is available. Physical inspections of Customs and
other government agencies (e.g. phytosanitary/veterinary control authorities) are well coordinated.
Preparation and submission of necessary documents for Customs clearance takes up to 85 minutes
and it is organized in parallel with railway commercial and technical inspections. The Customs inspections at
Rezekne railway border crossing take in average 30 minutes.
Lessons learnt
The Case study of Rezekne railway border crossing in Latvia nearby the border with Russian
Federation shows a possibility to minimize formalities at actual border station(s) (e.g. only to brief and
automated initial border crossing control) and transfer the regular border crossing formalities (both railways
and regulatory) to the nearest inland railway station where appropriate capacities are available.
The Rezekne railway border crossing station is an example were several good practices and smart
solutions for efficient management of railway border crossing are implemented including:
• transfer of main railway operations and regulatory formalities from the entry railway border
crossing(s) (with limited capacities to deal with high transport flows) to the first major railway
station located inland which is designated to serve as a railway border crossing station. Such
transfer eliminates bottlenecks at the entry railway border crossing(s) and provides optimized use
of resources (infrastructure, technical and human);
• electronic information exchange, which includes pre arrival information, between railways as well
as between railways, Customs and other government agencies;
• use of modern control and inspection technologies (e.g. dynamic scales, dynamic X-ray scanner,
automated commercial inspection system) that provides expeditious, automated and improved
processing and control of freight trains;
• use of risk analysis, selectivity, coordinated and joint inspections and controls at national level.
57
Learning
LearningMaterials
Materialson
onTransport Corridors
Railway Transport

Learning Material-Railway Transport

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Learning Material-Railway Transport

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Learning Material-Railway Transport

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pixelci / iStock.

Objectives and Content

• Emerging trends in international railway transport (sustainability, international connectivity,

• UIC, March 2020, Eurasian Corridors: Development Potential – Report.

1 Emerging trends in international railway transport..................................................................................................... 9

2 Enhancing interoperability for facilitation of international railway transport................................................................13

3 Electronic information exchange for facilitation of border crossing by rail .............................................................. 16

5 Facilitation of Customs transit procedures for international railway transport......................................................... 28

6 Joint border controls and streamlined border crossing.......................................................................................... 33

Case Study Electronic information exchange between railways and

Case Study Border crossing at Rezekne railway station (Latvia)........................................................................... 53

Figure 1. Cross-border exchange of electronic documents between JSC RZD and

8 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

1 Emerging trends in international railway transport

1.1 Railways as a part of sustainable economy

Box 1 Sustainability advantages of railway transport in comparison to road transport

Note Please share your views on the following:

1.2 Railways as a basis for international connectivity

10 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Box 2 Examples of instruments and initiatives that support international connectivity

•Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network (2009)

1.3 Railways as a part of overall logistics solutions

1.4 Reliability and resilience of railways

Table 1: Physical and non-physical reliability solutions

Physical reliability Non-physical reliability

12 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

2 Enhancing interoperability for facilitation of international

2.1 Technical interoperability

Technical interoperability refers to technical characteristics of railway infrastructure and rolling

Box 3 Key elements for increased efficiency of break of gauge operations

• Sufficient rail tracks with both gauges

To mitigate potential inefficiencies due to lack of interoperability of other technical characteristics

Watch New China TV video on Alataw Pass transshipment warehouse

Note Please share your views on the following:

14 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

2.2 Legal interoperability

Legal interoperability takes in consideration railway legislative framework of international

2.3 Operational interoperability

3.1 Between railways

Electronic exchange of information between railways (e.g. advance information on consignment

16 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Box 4 IT tools that support TAF-TSI processes and functions

• ORFEUS - RailData, enables electronic exchange of railway consignment data

18 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Note Please share your views on the following:

3.2 Among railways and control authorities

20 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Read: Case Studies

4 Use of new technologies for efficient and secure border

4.1 Automated and non-intrusive inspections

22 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Figure 3: Automated inspection system

Source: Lithuanian Railways, 2015 (Kena border crossing)

Implementation of automated and non-intrusive inspection/control systems could significantly

Note Please share your views on the following:

24 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

4.2 Electronic tracking for secure border crossing

The use of e-seals that offer extended security may be:

Box 5 Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) in India

26 Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

・ESCAP, Developing Coordination and Institutional Arrangements for the Management of

・What is present experience in corridor coordination along China-Mongolia-Russian Federation