For the first time, OTIF’s Annual Report was approved in March so that it would not be obsolete at the time of publication due to significant developments between the end of last year and the date of publication.

In 2024, particular attention was paid to the Member States’ implementation and application of the COTIF Uniform Rules. To this end, OTIF published three guides concerning freight, dangerous goods and technical interoperability, to support the application of COTIF.

The promotion of uniform railway law through membership of COTIF continued. For example, Moldova became a member of OTIF in 2024, and discussions with Iraq have begun to reactivate its membership.

The entry into force of the Luxembourg Protocol was also a milestone for OTIF, as the Organisation now provides the secretariat for the Supervisory Authority, the body that oversees implementation of the Protocol.

As far as the transport of dangerous goods by rail is concerned, major changes have been made to RID 2025, for example with regard to recycled plastics and the carriage of vehicles with batteries.

Lastly, with regard to technical interoperability beyond the European Union, certain Uniform Technical Prescriptions were amended in 2024, notably the UTP Wagons and Noise.

For more details, the full 2024 Annual Report is available here.