Russia accedes to COTIF

News 18 Sep 2009 by WCN Editorial

The Russian Federation has made an application for accession to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) and hence to the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)

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Initially, Russia will subject the carriage of goods on a small part of its railway infrastructure to the CIM Uniform Rules: from the landing stage at the Baltiysk ferry terminal to Baltiysk railway station; and from the landing stage at the Ust-Luga ferry terminal to Luzhskaya railway station, which is also situated near the port.

Both moves are in connection with the Sassnitz-Baltiysk-Ust-Luga ferry service,

Depending on the experiences it has following its accession, Russia will consider whether it will be useful to subject further lines to the new uniform transport regime. In so doing, the possibility of introducing Russian as a working language of OTIF might have a role to play.

Russia’s accession will probably take legal effect on 1 February 2010. Russia will become the 44th Member State of OTIF. Apart from the significance of this accession in terms of transport policy, it may lead to other positive developments for OTIF in that other States (e.g. in Central Asia), which have close railway links with Russia, may examine whether they also wish to accede.