Improving and updating the Agreement on PGV Rules

The meeting of authorized representatives of the Contracting Parties to the PGV Agreement was held at the OSJD Committee offices in Warsaw from 4 to 6 June 2024. This gathering aimed to update the PGV Agreement and examine proposals regarding charge rates for using freight wagons and bogies in international rail traffic. Representatives from Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Estonia, as well as members of the OSJD Committee, attended the meeting. The discussions were based on the Work Plan of the OSJD Commission on Freight Traffic for 2024 and decisions from a previous expert meeting held in April 2024.

During the meeting, the relevance and importance of the agenda were emphasized, and participants were thanked for their active engagement. Mrs. Olga Artemjeva of the OSJD Committee chaired the meeting, while Mr. Attila Kiss, Secretary of the OSJD Committee, informed attendees about recent decisions made at the XXXVIII Session of the Conference of General Directors of OSJD Railways in April 2024 in Turkmenistan. These decisions pertained to freight traffic and the updating of the PGV Agreement and its associated rules. The meeting also reviewed the implementation of decisions from the previous year's meeting in June 2023.

Two proposals concerning the recalculation of charge rates for the use of freight wagons, bogies, and wagons without bogies were discussed, based on data submitted by Contracting Parties for 2023 and adjusted for inflation. However, neither proposal was adopted, meaning the existing charge rates will remain in effect. Additionally, Russian Railways JSC announced it would cease its role as the leading railway undertaking for rate calculation from 2025. Consequently, LDZ CARGO confirmed its readiness to assume this role starting 1 January 2025.

Several amendments to the PGV Agreement were adopted, including editorial changes and updates to the Rules for use of freight wagons, technical requirements, preventive maintenance period signs, wagon labels, and the request form for accession to the PGV Agreement. These amendments will take effect on January 1, 2025, following final confirmation by the OSJD Committee. The meeting concluded with a decision to include the ongoing work on updating the PGV Agreement in the draft Work Plan of the OSJD Commission on Freight Traffic for 2025, ensuring continuous improvements and relevance of the Agreement for international rail traffic.

image source: OSJD