China-Duisburg container train

News 12 Apr 2011 by WCN Editorial

Subject to demand, DB Schenker will introduce regular scheduled services this year

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Last week a container train operated by DB Schenker from Chongqing in China arrived in Duisburg after travelling 10,300 kms is just over 16 days, about half the time that would have been necessary taking the sea route.

The route taken by the train went south of Mongolia, through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus and Poland to Germany. Previous test trains on several occasions have followed the entire route north of Mongolia taken by the Trans-Siberian Railway, which is 2000 kms longer, but involves fewer customs formalities. Chongqing is one of the largest and fastest growing cities in the world. Located in Sichuan Province in the Chinese hinterland, the city has developed into an important production centre for various industries. A number of multi-national companies operate in Chongqing.

The majority of goods exported to Europe currently take the sea route, some are sent by air freight. Transporting the containers from Chongqing to a Chinese seaport alone takes around three days.

Dr Karl-Friedrich Rausch, member of the Management Board of DB Mobility Logistics AG responsible for transportation and logistics, said: “Most important of all, the time taken for the journey from China’s interior, the train’s arrival in the middle of Germany and the possibility of delivering the containers from here to their destinations quickly and safely, demonstrate the attractiveness of our service.

“We hope that, with the journey now completed, we have once again convinced our customers of the advantages of such a train. According to our planning schedule regular services between China and Germany could begin within this year, subject to demand.”