Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato

International transport is governed by CIM Standard Rules (Appendix B of The "Convention for international rail transport" (COTIF 1999), applicable from 1st July 2006.

These regulations allow for the circulation of goods within 44 Countries, mostly EU Member States but also others in Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and guarantee direct international shipment using a single shipping document for the entire route, from departure to destination.

Based on the principle of free competition in the European transport market, these rules allow for agreements to be made with customers with the utmost freedom regarding contracts, conditions, prices and ways of providing the services.

Due to liberalisation, an enterprise may, as only interlocutor the client has, assign to other enterprises the partial execution of the transport or of a partial supply of services pertaining said service, for example the haulage and the departure and arrival operations.

The conditions of acceptance and delivery regarding international service are similar to those in the domestic transport contract.

A consignment note must be filled in for every shipment, and in the case of transport bound by customs constraints, the consignment note not only acts as transport document but also as a customs document.

The terms for return of shipments are agreed in advance with customers. In the absence of an agreement, CIM regulations shall apply:
• 12 hours for departure operations;
• 24 hours for each indivisible segment of 400 km
Terms for return are suspended on Sundays and holidays.