UNECE: UN Inland Transport Committee launches operational phase of Unified Railway Law to strengthen international rail freight
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
05 Feburary 2026
The UNECE Inland Transport Committee (ITC) adopted a decision at its 88th annual session to establish a dedicated team of specialists to advance towards the full implementation of Unified Railway Law (URL) through the operationalization of the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Rail (URL1), taking a decisive step forward in this work.
Under the decision, ITC established a time-bound team of specialists operating under its Working Party on Rail Transport (SC.2). The group is mandated to develop the practical tools necessary to make URL1 operational in day-to-day rail transport. As an initial priority, the team will work on a URL1 consignment note model and an accompanying implementation manual to ensure consistent and legally secure application across borders. The group will report to SC.2 and ITC on progress and may be tasked with additional operationalization activities, including digital solutions such as electronic consignment notes.
The decision marks an important milestone in efforts to create a single, coherent legal regime for international rail freight — making cross-border rail transport more time-efficient, cost-effective and legally predictable.
For decades, international rail freight has operated under two separate legal systems — CIM in much of Western and Central Europe and SMGS across Eastern Europe and parts of Asia — requiring additional procedures when goods move between them. While each system has supported regional transport flows, their coexistence has required complex administrative processes at borders, including reconsignment procedures and the use of different transport documents. Unlike road, maritime and air transport — which benefit from globally recognized legal frameworks — rail freight has faced legal fragmentation, increasing costs and reducing competitiveness.
These inefficiencies can limit the viability of certain goods for rail transport, including time-sensitive or perishable products, and ultimately affect supply chains, businesses and consumers.
Adopted in 2023 under the auspices of UNECE, URL1 bridges the existing CIM and SMGS systems while also providing a framework for countries not previously covered. It enables carriage under one contract of carriage and one consignment note for the entire journey, eliminating administrative barriers related to reconsignment and strengthening legal certainty in the handling of claims.
The Convention establishes a clear liability regime, providing a minimum level of liability while allowing contractual freedom to agree on higher limits by mutual consent. It also permits the use of negotiable transport documents and applies to multimodal journeys where the main leg is rail — reflecting the realities of modern, integrated logistics chains.
To translate the Convention into operational practice, ITC established a team of specialists under its Working Party on Rail Transport (SC.2). The group will initially focus on developing a standard URL1 consignment note and an accompanying implementation manual to ensure consistent and legally secure application across borders. Further work may include electronic consignment notes, standardized notification procedures, tools to assess applicability along specific routes, and common approaches to determining reasonable delivery times.
With this decision, ITC is moving from legal adoption to practical implementation, laying the foundation for the gradual creation of Unified Railway Law as a modern and flexible framework for international rail freight across regions and corridors.
Over time, implementation of URL is expected to strengthen supply-chain resilience, facilitate trade between Europe and Asia and beyond, reduce operational costs for businesses, and reinforce rail’s role as a sustainable backbone of international transport.
Note to editors
The Inland Transport Committee (ITC) is the United Nations platform for inland transport under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It brings together 59 member States to develop and facilitate international transport conventions and agreements.
The Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Rail (URL1) was adopted in 2023 under UNECE. It aims to create a unified legal regime for international rail freight by bridging the existing CIM and SMGS systems and providing a framework for countries not covered by either regime.
Read the full story (with images and links): https://unece.org/sustainable-development/press/un-inland-transport-committee-launches-operational-phase-unified
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05 Feburary 2026
The UNECE Inland Transport Committee (ITC) adopted a decision at its 88th annual session to establish a dedicated team of specialists to advance towards the full implementation of Unified Railway Law (URL) through the operationalization of the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Rail (URL1), taking a decisive step forward in this work.
Under the decision, ITC established a time-bound team of specialists operating under its Working Party on Rail Transport (SC.2). The group is mandated to develop the practical tools necessary to make URL1 operational in day-to-day rail transport. As an initial priority, the team will work on a URL1 consignment note model and an accompanying implementation manual to ensure consistent and legally secure application across borders. The group will report to SC.2 and ITC on progress and may be tasked with additional operationalization activities, including digital solutions such as electronic consignment notes.
The decision marks an important milestone in efforts to create a single, coherent legal regime for international rail freight — making cross-border rail transport more time-efficient, cost-effective and legally predictable.
For decades, international rail freight has operated under two separate legal systems — CIM in much of Western and Central Europe and SMGS across Eastern Europe and parts of Asia — requiring additional procedures when goods move between them. While each system has supported regional transport flows, their coexistence has required complex administrative processes at borders, including reconsignment procedures and the use of different transport documents. Unlike road, maritime and air transport — which benefit from globally recognized legal frameworks — rail freight has faced legal fragmentation, increasing costs and reducing competitiveness.
These inefficiencies can limit the viability of certain goods for rail transport, including time-sensitive or perishable products, and ultimately affect supply chains, businesses and consumers.
Adopted in 2023 under the auspices of UNECE, URL1 bridges the existing CIM and SMGS systems while also providing a framework for countries not previously covered. It enables carriage under one contract of carriage and one consignment note for the entire journey, eliminating administrative barriers related to reconsignment and strengthening legal certainty in the handling of claims.
The Convention establishes a clear liability regime, providing a minimum level of liability while allowing contractual freedom to agree on higher limits by mutual consent. It also permits the use of negotiable transport documents and applies to multimodal journeys where the main leg is rail — reflecting the realities of modern, integrated logistics chains.
To translate the Convention into operational practice, ITC established a team of specialists under its Working Party on Rail Transport (SC.2). The group will initially focus on developing a standard URL1 consignment note and an accompanying implementation manual to ensure consistent and legally secure application across borders. Further work may include electronic consignment notes, standardized notification procedures, tools to assess applicability along specific routes, and common approaches to determining reasonable delivery times.
With this decision, ITC is moving from legal adoption to practical implementation, laying the foundation for the gradual creation of Unified Railway Law as a modern and flexible framework for international rail freight across regions and corridors.
Over time, implementation of URL is expected to strengthen supply-chain resilience, facilitate trade between Europe and Asia and beyond, reduce operational costs for businesses, and reinforce rail’s role as a sustainable backbone of international transport.
Note to editors
The Inland Transport Committee (ITC) is the United Nations platform for inland transport under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It brings together 59 member States to develop and facilitate international transport conventions and agreements.
The Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Rail (URL1) was adopted in 2023 under UNECE. It aims to create a unified legal regime for international rail freight by bridging the existing CIM and SMGS systems and providing a framework for countries not covered by either regime.
Read the full story (with images and links): https://unece.org/sustainable-development/press/un-inland-transport-committee-launches-operational-phase-unified