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Spotlight PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 The EU e-invoicing mandate is here — France Sept 2026, Belgium Jan 2026, Germany 2025.

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Foundations

— 02

Standards

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Flagship messages

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Tools

X12 417 — Rail Carrier Waybill Interchange

The 417 exchanges waybills between rail carriers — origin road, junction roads, destination road — for a multi-road movement over the North American network.

Purpose

The 417 documents the transfer of a rail waybill between two successive roads at an interchange: origin road, intermediate road, destination road. Each road digitally signs the waybill and hands it off to the next via the 417.

It is central to interline cooperation between Class I railroads (BNSF, UP, CSX, NS, CN, CP). Acknowledged by 997. Paired with a 425 (Rail Waybill Request) to initiate the waybill request.

Envelope structure

The 417 travels within the three X12 envelope levels (ISA/IEA, GS/GE with functional group WI, and ST/SE). Didactic example in release 004010:

x12 example-417.x12 
ISA*00*          *00*          *ZZ*ORIGINROAD    *ZZ*JUNCTIONROAD  *260515*1430*U*00401*000000417*0*P*>~
GS*WI*ORIGINROAD*JUNCTIONROAD*20260515*1430*1*X*004010~
ST*417*0001~
ZC1*WB*WAY-2026-3322~
N7*XYZ*1234567*BOXCAR~
N9*WB*WAY-2026-3322~
F9*USCHI*CITYCH*IL~
D9*USNYC*CITYNY*NY~
SE*7*0001~
GE*1*1~
IEA*1*000000417~

Common segments

  • Header — ST, ZC1 (Beginning Segment for Data Correction or Change).
  • Car — N7 with ID.
  • Waybill reference — N9*WB.
  • Origin — F9 (Origin Station).
  • Destination — D9 (Destination Station).
  • Summary — SE.

Common pitfalls

  • SPLC vs FSAC: Standard Point Location Codes and Freight Station Accounting Codes coexist; a 417 must use SPLC, otherwise routing fails.
  • Interchange timing: a late interchange (>24 h after car arrival at junction) triggers an inter-road demurrage charge.
  • Hazmat documentation: for hazmat cars, the 417 must include emergency response codes — a hazmat 417 missing them causes an FRA compliance violation.

Documentation

The code 417 and the name Rail Carrier Waybill Interchange are public and listed on x12.org/products/transaction-sets. The complete structure of loops, qualifiers and code lists is distributed by DISA via the proprietary Implementation Guides (TR3). ediverse.io covers only public concepts, the envelope and didactic examples.