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CIM · WESTERN EUROPE
The consignment note is signed in Frankfurt.

COTIF rules. OTIF/CIT standards. Digital signatures possible under eIDAS. The sender and carrier sign the CIM consignment note.

SMGS · EASTERN EUROPE & ASIA
At Malaszewicze, one document ends. Another begins. Different carrier. Different legal world.

OSJD rules. Different standards. Different systems. New consignment note, new signatories. Their identity? Unverified in the CIM world.

CIM · SMGS · eFTI · DAC

Two Legal Regimes. One Identity.

6,000+
km per corridor
5-8
countries crossed
500K
freight wagons
Jul '27
eFTI covers rail
THE CORRIDOR

6,000 km. 5 Countries. 2 Legal Regimes. Zero Digital Identity.

China-Europe freight trains take multiple routes — through Russia and Belarus, or via the Trans-Caspian corridor through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. Both cross multiple borders, shift between legal systems, and require new documentation at every transition. At each point, someone signs. Except Poland, none of them get an EU digital identity.

🇨🇳
China
SMGS
Dispatcher signs
🇰🇿
Kazakhstan
SMGS
Yard operator signs
🇧🇾
Belarus
SMGS
Transit agent signs
⚡ RECONSIGNMENT POINT
🇵🇱
Poland
SMGS → CIM
New docs. New signers.
🇩🇪
Germany
CIM
Receiver signs
SMGS countries — no EUDI
CIM / reconsignment — identity gap
All have NFC biometric passports → IdentiGate covers all
THREE PROBLEMS

What Makes Rail Freight Identity Unique

01

The reconsignment problem

When freight crosses from CIM to SMGS (or back), new consignment notes are issued and new signatories must be identified. The old operator hands off to a new operator. Both sign. Neither system recognizes the other's digital identity. At Malaszewicze alone, thousands of handovers happen monthly.

02

The multi-border problem

A single train crosses 5-8 countries. China, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Poland, Germany. Each border requires documentation. Each requires identity. Each has different systems, different languages, different customs authorities. No unified digital identity bridges them all — except a biometric passport.

03

The multimodal handover

Cargo arrives by ship → goes on rail → leaves by truck. At each transition point: new documents, new operators, new identity needs. The port agent, the yard operator, the truck driver — each needs verified identity. Three modes, three document regimes, one identity layer needed.

THE DIGITAL FREIGHT TRAIN

500,000 Wagons Are Going Digital. Every One Needs an Identity.

The Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC) is transforming European rail freight. By connecting wagons with power and data lines, DAC turns every freight train into a digitally connected system — monitoring brakes, wheels, cargo position, and train integrity in real-time.

Pre-deployment pilot trains are rolling across Europe. As DAC deployment progresses toward full-scale adoption, a connected train raises a fundamental question: who is authorized to send commands, receive data, and sign off on operations?

Every wagon with a DAC becomes an IoT device. Every IoT device needs authenticated identity. IdentiGate's Identity of Things was built for exactly this — giving digital identity to physical assets.

DAC CREATES DEMAND FOR
📦
Wagon Identity
Every DAC wagon becomes a verifiable digital entity
👤
Operator Authentication
Who is authorized to send commands to this train?
🔐
Data Provenance
Prove that sensor data hasn't been tampered with
🏢
Fleet-Level Signing
Batch operations across 50+ wagons per train
DAC pilot trains in operation · 500,000 wagons + 17,000 locomotives to be equipped

Identity That Crosses Regimes,
Borders, and Transport Modes.

From CIM/SMGS reconsignment to DAC wagon identity — what rail freight needs today, and what the digital freight train demands tomorrow.

SOLVE TODAY
🛂

Operator & Agent Identity

Yard operator at Malaszewicze. Customs agent at Kazakh border. Dispatcher in Frankfurt. Each person at each transition point gets verified digital identity from their biometric passport — CIM or SMGS side, doesn't matter.

Identity Verification · Authentication
✍️

CIM/SMGS Multi-Party Signing

CIM consignment note: signed by sender + carrier. At reconsignment: old carrier hands off to new carrier — both sign. CIM/SMGS unified note: signed across two legal regimes. Each party signs with eIDAS AdES.

Multi Signatures · Signing Portal
🏢

Railway Company Identity

Is this railway authorized on this corridor? Company-level seals for CIM carriers and SMGS railways. Operator licence verification. Sanctions compliance on Russia/Belarus routes.

Company Identity · Company Signature
📋

Real-Time Compliance

Railway safety certificate valid? RID dangerous goods certification active? Operator licence current for this route? Real-time status checks at every border crossing — not last month's paper copy.

Cert Validity Check · Authentication
⏱️

Border Crossing Evidence

When did the train cross the Kazakh-Chinese border? When was reconsignment completed in Malaszewicze? Cryptographic timestamps across 6,000+ km. Undeniable proof for liability disputes.

Timestamp · Digital Evidence Layer
📦

Train-Level Batch Operations

One train = 50+ wagons = 50+ consignment notes. Sign all at once. Customs declarations in bulk at the border. Gauge-change documentation for the entire consist. Scale without adding headcount.

Batch Signing · Company Signature
TOMORROW'S EDGE
The industry isn't here yet. Our architecture already is.
🚂

Identity of Things (DAC)

Our identity architecture already supports physical assets — the same cryptographic framework that verifies a yard operator can verify a wagon. As DAC equips wagons with data connectivity, the identity layer to authenticate them is ready. Containers tracked seamlessly from port to rail to truck.

Wagons · Containers · Sensors · Seals
✦ Deployable today — waiting for industry adoption
🔐

Zero-Knowledge Compliance

Our architecture natively supports zero-knowledge proofs. Prove a railway operator holds a valid licence without revealing it. Verify RID certification without personal data. Screen against sanctions on sensitive corridors without exposing identity. The cryptography is built in — the industry use cases are emerging.

Sanctions · Licences · RID · Privacy
✦ Deployable today — waiting for industry adoption
🌐

Cross-Regime Identity

IdentiGate identities are already regime-agnostic — built on biometric passports, not on CIM or SMGS systems. An operator verified in Frankfurt is cryptographically the same person in Almaty. No re-verification at the regime border. As eCIM/SMGS goes digital, the identity bridge is ready.

CIM ↔ SMGS · Unified Identity
✦ Deployable today — waiting for industry adoption
179
countries covered
90s
identity creation
2
legal regimes bridged
AdES
eIDAS compliant
0
government dependency

Building Rail Freight Identity?

Whether you're managing CIM/SMGS reconsignment, preparing for eFTI on rail, building DAC-enabled systems, or handling multimodal transitions — let's explore how IdentiGate bridges the gap between two legal worlds.

Book a Demo →