The role of consignment note in rail transport chains

International Railway Organizations functioning in the world such as e.g. e.g. the International Committee on Rail Transport (CIT), the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF), the Organisation for Railway Cooperation (OSJD) and are actively working and cooperating to improve the functioning of international rail transport and rail transport chains. Their main task is to strive to promote, cooperate, develop, improve and facilitate international rail transport as a means of transport that can meet the challenges of mobility and sustainable development. The aim is to strive for continuous improvement of rail transport by simplifying border procedures and harmonising transport documents. A special feature is the common consignment note of CIT and OSJD organizations, i.e. the CIM/SMGS waybill. The aim of the article is to indicate the role of the basic transport document, i.e. the consignment note, in the development of modern international rail transport. The consignment note is an important document in international transport. The article is based on the analysis of available sources, research conducted by the World Customs Organization and experience in the field of its implementation in the practice of business activity of entities of the rail transport market.