Organization for Cooperation between Railways

What Organization for Cooperation between Railways does

Organization for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD / ОСЖД) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1956 and headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. It develops and maintains the legal, technical, and commercial frameworks governing international railway passenger and freight transport across 29 member states spanning Europe, Central Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. OSJD's foundational instruments — the SMGS agreement on international freight transport and the SMPS agreement on international passenger transport, both originating in 1951 — define the transport law field for the 1520mm gauge network, complemented by unified transit tariffs (ETT, MTT), a freight wagon usage agreement (PGV), the harmonized cargo nomenclature (GNG), and 13 international railway transport corridors covering ~340,000 km of track.

The organization's core technical outputs are standards and digital interoperability tools rather than commercial products. These include over 600 memory sheets (memokates) covering transport policy, infrastructure, coding, and finance; the unified CIM/SMGS electronic consignment note enabling paperless cross-border documentation on China-Europe corridors; the INTERTRAN intermodal electronic documentation project; and a 4G/5G railway telecommunications specification. Supporting infrastructure includes a 601-document search portal, the OSJD Academy training platform, and a network of Scientific and Technical Information Centers (NTEI) in member countries. Attached enterprises such as UTLC ERA, TransContainer, KTZ Express, PESA, and Plasser & Theurer embed OSJD's standards into operational rail and logistics activity.

OSJD is not a commercial enterprise and generates no product revenue. It is funded through mandatory annual contributions from its 29 member states and operates through intergovernmental channels: the Meeting of Ministers, the Conference of General Directors of Railways, and the OSJD Committee in Warsaw. Its GTM is institutional rather than commercial — convening sessions, publishing standards, and coordinating through MoUs with peer bodies including UN ECE, CCTT, UIC, ERA, OTIF, ESCAP, FIATA, UPU, and WCO. Members participate via official delegations of national railway administrations and transport ministries.

Name

Organization for Cooperation between Railways

Legal name

Organization for Cooperation between Railways (ОСЖД / OSJD)

Website

https://osjd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OSJD is an intergovernmental railway body founded in 1956 that develops legal, technical, and tariff frameworks governing international passenger and freight rail transport across 29 member states spanning Eurasia, funded by mandatory member contributions and coordinated through intergovernmental sessions in Warsaw.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Railway Transport Coordination

NAICS

Support Activities for Transportation (488), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Transport Safety & Infrastructure Standards Cooperation (BPADANAK)

Keywords

• International rail transport
• Railway standards coordination
• Intergovernmental railway cooperation
• Rail freight agreements
• Rail transport corridors

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Member State Contributions: OSJD is funded through annual contributions from its member states. The organization operates as an intergovernmental body with no commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OSJD is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates international railway transport across 29 member states spanning roughly 340,000 km of 1520mm-gauge rail. It develops and maintains a unified legal framework (SMGS for freight, SMPS for passengers), harmonized transit tariffs (ETT, MTT, MPT), wagon usage agreements (PGV), and over 600 technical standards (memory sheets) governing cross-border rail operations. The organization also coordinates 13 international railway transport corridors, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, and operates supporting digital systems such as the unified CIM/SMGS electronic consignment note and the INTERTRAN intermodal project.

Product overview

OSJD (Organization for Cooperation between Railways) is an intergovernmental organization coordinating international railway transport across member countries. The organization does not offer a commercial product in the traditional sense but manages a comprehensive framework of international agreements, standards, and information systems. Core offerings include the SMGS (freight) and SMPS (passenger) agreements governing cross-border railway operations, 13 international railway transport corridors, unified tariff systems (ЕТТ, МТТ), wagon usage agreements (ПГВ), and container transportation frameworks. Supporting digital infrastructure includes the unified CIM/SMGS consignment note enabling paperless freight transport, the INTERTRAN project for intermodal operations, standardized coding and data exchange systems (UN/EDIFACT XML/JSON), and a document search portal for 601+ OSJD documents and memoranda. The organization also maintains the Harmonized Cargo Nomenclature (ГНГ), freight station registries, and operates a professional training academy portal for railway personnel development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SMGS Agreement on International Railway Freight Communication (Соглашение о международном железнодорожном грузовом сообщении, СМГС) Foundational legal agreement governing international railway freight transportation across OSJD member states, including rules for the unified CIM/SMGS consignment note that enables cross-border shipments under harmonized commercial and legal conditions.
• SMPS Agreement on International Railway Passenger Communication (Соглашение о международном пассажирском сообщении, СМПС) Foundational legal agreement governing international railway passenger transportation across OSJD member states, with standardized regulations for cross-border passenger services, timetables, and fare coordination.
• Unified Transit Tariff (ЕТТ) and International Railway Transit Tariff (МТТ) Unified international transit tariff system establishing rates for international railway freight transit across OSJD member countries, coordinated among member railways for standardized transit pricing.
• PGV Agreement on Use of Freight Wagons in International Traffic (Договор о ПГВ) Agreement governing the mutual use, allocation, and financial settlement for freight wagons operating across borders between OSJD member railways.
• International Railway Transport Corridors (ЖТК ОСЖД №№ 1–13) OSJD coordinates 13 international railway transport corridors facilitating freight and passenger movements across Eurasia, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) and the North-South corridor.
• Unified CIM/SMGS Electronic Consignment Note (Накладная ЦИМ/СМГС)
• INTERTRAN Project
• Harmonized Cargo Nomenclature (ГНГ)
• OSJD Coding and Informatics Standards (UN/EDIFACT XML/JSON)
• 4G/5G Railway Telecommunications System Specification
• OSJD Document and Memory Sheet Search Portal Web-based searchable database of over 601 OSJD documents, memory sheets, memoranda, and standards including the Harmonized Cargo Nomenclature, freight station registries, and technical specifications.
• OSJD Academy Professional Training Web Portal (Академия ОСЖД) Internet resource for professional education and training in railway transport for OSJD member states, including recommended training programs and best-practice exchange for railway personnel.

Quantifiable outcome

• OSJD member railways account for approximately 50% of global rail freight (5.5+ billion tonnes/year)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, moderate and minor.

• UN Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE / ЕЭК ООН)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSJD cooperates with the UN ECE on harmonizing railway transport regulations and facilitating border crossing procedures in the Euro-Asian space. The organizations collaborate on transport policy, technical standards alignment, and the development of unified legal instruments.
• Coordinating Council for Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT / КСТП)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCTT is a key strategic partner for OSJD on intermodal transport development and the coordination of container train operations on Eurasian corridors. OSJD and CCTT jointly work on logistics chains, electronic documentation, and corridor development projects.
• International Union of Railways (UIC / МСЖД)coreTechnology or IntegrationOSJD and UIC collaborate on technical standards harmonization, including the joint memory sheets (e.g., О+Р 524/MCJD 508-3), railway research, and the development of unified nomenclature for freight. The organizations hold joint seminars on wagon usage rules.
• European Union Agency for Railways (ERA / ЕРА)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSJD cooperates with ERA on technical interoperability and railway safety standards, particularly for cross-border operations between the 1520mm and 1435mm gauge systems.
• Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF / ОТИФ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSJD and OTIF collaborate on international rail transport law, particularly concerning the CIM convention and its harmonization with OSJD's SMPS and SMGS agreements.
• UN ESCAP (ЭСКАТО ООН)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSJD and ESCAP conduct joint projects on international railway transport development, including studies on border crossing facilitation and transport corridor development in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Universal Postal Union (UPU / ВПС)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSJD cooperates with UPU on organizing international postal transport by rail, including container train services for postal shipments between China and Europe.
• World Customs Organization (WCO / ВТамО)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSJD and WCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation, particularly on cross-border procedures and digital documentation for rail freight transport.
• Eurasian Economic Commission (EAEC / ЕЭК)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAEC and OSJD cooperate on railway transport policy within the Eurasian Economic Union space, including harmonization of tariffs and technical standards with OSJD frameworks.
• JSC United Transport and Logistics Company — Eurasian Railway Alliance (UTLC ERA / ОТЛК ЕРА)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUTLC ERA is an attached enterprise of OSJD and a key operator on the China-Europe rail corridor, providing container block train services across the 1520mm gauge network.
• South Caucasus Railway (ZAO "YUKHD" / ЗАО "ЮКЖД")moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn OSJD attached enterprise operating the railway infrastructure in Armenia, participating in OSJD freight and passenger commission activities.
• Railway Corporation Northeast Asia (China)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn OSJD attached enterprise from China, contributing to OSJD activities particularly in the area of container transport and corridor development.
• North Star Sinogold Exhibition Co., Ltd (China)minorOthersChinese company participating as an attached enterprise of OSJD, involved in exhibition and logistics activities.
• Shenzhen Neptune Logistics Co., Ltd (China)minorOthersChinese logistics company as an OSJD attached enterprise, involved in container transport operations.
• Vostochny Express LLC (Russia)minorOthersRussian railway freight operator attached to OSJD, participating in international freight transport activities.
• Russian Post (AO " Pochta Rossii")moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerRussian postal operator attached to OSJD, cooperating on international postal transport by rail and container services.
• PLASKE JSC (Ukraine)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkrainian railway equipment and logistics company attached to OSJD, participating in technical cooperation and standards development.
• Gepard Express SE (Czech Republic)minorOthersCzech railway services company attached to OSJD.
• Kazakhstan Multimodal Transport Association (MMTA / ОЮЛ "Международная ассоциация "ТМТМ")majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKazakhstan-based multimodal transport association cooperating with OSJD on developing container transport, intermodal operations, and the Transcaspian International Transport Route.
• TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission (МПК ТРАСЕКА)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRACECA and OSJD cooperate on the development of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia transport corridor, including harmonizing legal frameworks and infrastructure development.
• International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIATA collaborates with OSJD on freight forwarding standards, documentation, and multimodal transport development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF): OTIF administers the COTIF convention and CIM consignment note, which is the European/UNECE counterpart to OSJD's SMGS framework. The two organizations directly cooperate on harmonizing CIM with SMPS and SMGS, making OTIF the closest institutional peer in international rail transport law.
• International Union of Railways (UIC): UIC is a global railway standardization body covering primarily the 1435mm gauge network. It directly overlaps with OSJD in developing international rail standards, technical specifications, and harmonized nomenclature (e.g., joint memory sheets O+P 524/MCJD 508-3), competing for influence in cross-border rail governance.
• Coordinating Council on Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT): CCTT is a strategic partner for OSJD on intermodal transport and container train operations across Eurasian corridors. The two organizations jointly develop logistics chains, electronic documentation, and corridor projects, with overlapping mandates in container freight coordination.
• TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission: TRACECA coordinates the Europe-Caucasus-Asia transport corridor with a mandate similar to OSJD's corridor programs. It cooperates with OSJD on legal framework harmonization and infrastructure development along the same geography.
• International Rail Transport Committee (CIT): CIT develops uniform legal and commercial rules for international rail traffic, particularly for passenger transport. It cooperates with OSJD on harmonizing SMPS-related passenger transport law with COTIF-based frameworks.

Regional players

• JSC United Transport and Logistics Company – Eurasian Railway Alliance (UTLC ERA): UTLC ERA is an OSJD attached enterprise and the primary operator of container block trains on the China-Europe corridor via the 1520mm network. As a jointly-controlled subsidiary of OSJD member railways, it represents OSJD's commercial extension into Eurasian container logistics.

Broad incumbents

• European Union Agency for Railways (ERA): ERA is the EU's regulatory authority for rail interoperability and safety, focusing on technical specifications for interoperability (TSIs) across EU member states. It collaborates with OSJD on 1520mm/1435mm gauge interoperability but operates a competing European framework that could constrain OSJD's role in EU-bordering members.
• Eurasian Economic Commission (EAEC): EAEC coordinates transport policy and tariff harmonization within the Eurasian Economic Union and cooperates with OSJD on aligning EAEU rail policy with OSJD frameworks, representing an overlapping regulatory authority for several OSJD member states.
• UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE): UNECE's transport division works on harmonizing border crossing procedures and transport regulations across the Euro-Asian space, directly cooperating with OSJD on transport policy alignment and unified legal instruments.

Others

• International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA): FIATA represents freight forwarders globally and collaborates with OSJD on freight forwarding standards, multimodal documentation, and best practices. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Organization for Cooperation between Railways