Rail overtakes air and sea links to Europe

Improved rail links between China and Europe combined with shifting centres of manufacturing in China are putting greater volumes of freight on rail at the expense of sea and air. Demand for the rail cargo service has exploded since its maiden journey in July last year, according to the Zhengzhou International Inland Port Development Company. Chinese freight is hubbed at Zhengzhou, a logistics centre and transport hub in the central Henan Province. From there, the 10 214-kilometre Zhengzhou-Europe International Shuttle Train crosses the border at the Alataw Pass in Xinjiang before passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus and Poland on its way to Hamburg, Germany. The intercontinental rail route can save about 20 days compared with maritime transport and costs 80% less than air shipment, according to the Development Co which runs the train service with partner rail companies in each country. Volumes have been growing steadily. Between its launch on July 18 to the end of 2013, the rail link carried 9 461 tons of cargo, valued at about 307 million yuan (about US$49 million), in 14 trains. In the first six months of 2014 the figures more than doubled, with cargo worth 884 million yuan transported in 20 trains. The growing demand has also been reflected in the train’s length, which has increased from the original 41 containers to the current 51.