Transport of dangerous goods

Dangerous goods is a collective term for substances and products which have such dangerous properties that they may harm people, the environment, property and other goods, if they are not handled correctly during transport.

The Swedish Transport Agency supervises that infrastructure managers, and railway operators comply with the applicable regulation on conveyance of dangerous goods by rail. The primary purpose of supervision of the transport of dangerous goods by rail is to ensure that they are safe and to minimise any consequences.

The rules of conveyance of dangerous goods by rail are largely similar to the rules of conveyance of dangerous goods by road, at sea and by air.

RID

The rules of conveyance of dangerous goods by rail are predominantly established within an international framework. It is part of the international COTIF convention (Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail).
The regulations concerning international transport of dangerous goods (RID) have been developed as an appendix to the international convention, COTIF. That means that RID is adopted by more than 40 countries in the world.