On May 02, 2018, the Ministry of Transport issued Circular No.22/2018/TT-BGTVT regulating the transport of goods on national railway and specialized railways with rail links to national railway. This Circular took effect since July 1, 2018.

Accordingly, Circular No.22/2018/TT-BGTVT regulates the transport of goods on railways as follows:

1. On determining the goods’ name: The transport hirer shall have to correctly declare the goods name at the request of the enterprise. In case of dangerous goods, they must be inscribed correctly in the list of dangerous goods transported by rail. The transport hirer shall be responsible for the consequences arising from incorrect declaration of the goods.
2. On the priority of goods transport: The goods received at the same time shall be given priority dangerous goods; corpses, remains; live animals, perishables, fast-drop weight; other types of goods other than those specified above shall be prescribed by enterprises.
3. On the packing of goods: Depending on the nature of the goods, the transport hirer must pack properly to ensure that the goods are not lost, reduced in quantity, damaged, reduced in quality or influenced to other goods in the process of loading, unloading and transportation. Goods packed in boxes or packages must be inscribed with trademarks, signs, symbols of goods characteristics (if any), weight, full names of goods, ensuring accuracy and clarity; particularly for corpses, the remains must be escorted and ensured hygiene, epidemic prevention and protection, and adequate papers as prescribed by law.
4. On the return of the wagons to the place of loading and unloading: At least two hours before the time of granting the carriage, the enterprise shall have to notify the transport hirer of the quantity and code of the carriages put into the loading and/or unloading road or communication point. When the branch road or special-use road line contracts provide the time of daily vehicle, enterprises shall not need to notify.

As compared with previous circulars, Circular No.22/2018/TT-BGTVT has issued new regulations to overcome remaining difficulties, in order to meet the needs of individuals, enterprises involved in railway freight transport, at the same time express the State’s interest in raising the quality of transport services and creating conditions for the development of rail transport service.