The Legal Nature of Nodal Agreements

This article presents a comprehensive study of the legal nature of nodal agreements in the transport law system. The author critically analyzes existing legal approaches to defining the concept of a “nodal agreement” and identifies gaps in current legislation. The author substantiates the position that a nodal agreement represents a non-property-based obligation. The author proves that from the point of view of the contract aspect there is no fundamental difference between cargo transshipment and passenger transfer, as both operations are, by their nature, carried out within transport nodes. Accordingly, an expanded understanding of the nodal agreement is proposed – encompassing both freight and passenger transportation – covering within its scope not only the organization of cargo transshipment but also the organization of passenger transfers.