UK-China freight
THE first eastbound freight train for China left the UK on April 10.
Carrying soft drinks, vitamins, pharmaceuticals and baby products, the train was operated by DB Cargo and will take three weeks to complete the 7,500-mile journey. It left London Gateway for Yiwu in the Zhe Jiang province (Eastern China).
This is the first consignment of cargo to travel by rail, which is deemed to be cheaper and less restrictive than air freight, and faster than by sea. Shippers highlighted that the train ran less than two weeks after the triggering of Article 50 and the start of the formal process to leave the European Union, placing a much stronger emphasis on the UK securing trade deals abroad.
“This new rail link with China is another boost for Global Britain, following the ancient Silk Road trade route to carry British products around the world,” said Greg Hands, Minister of State in the Department for International Trade. “It shows the huge global demand for quality UK goods.”
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World (which owns London Gateway), said: “We look forward to enabling and facilitating more trade between the UK, China and the whole world.”
Xubin Feng, Chairman of Yiwu Timex Industrial Investment Co, said: “Restoring the ancient Silk Road as a means by which China, north Europe and now the UK can exchange goods is an important and exciting initiative.
“This is the first export train and just the start of a regular direct service between the UK and China. We have great faith in the UK as
an export nation, and rail provides an excellent alternative for moving large volumes of goods over long distances faster.”
A ceremony at the south Essex terminal marked the train’s departure, with visitors watching the final three containers loaded. The train comes around three
months after the first train from China arrived at the same location ( RAIL 819). The service is part of China’s One Belt, One Road programme which revives the ancient Silk Road trading roads to the west.
Container operator OneTwoThree Logistics is overseeing the transportation and booking of the cargo on the trains, and is working with Yiwu Timex Industrial Investments Co, which is running the service with China Railway Container.
A DB Class 66 hauled the train to Dollands Moor, where a ‘92’ took over to Frethun via the Channel Tunnel.
The train then continued to Duisburg in Germany. From there InterRail took over, and hauled the train through Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan before its arrival in China.