Greencarrier Freight Services has launched a new rail service from China, through Russia and Belarus, to Sweden by rail. Previously, the goods were cross-docked in Poland. The new service unloads the cargo in Hamburg and reloads the containers for onward transportation to Scandinavia and via the company’s new hub in Hallsberg in Sweden.
Increased demand China - Europe
Greencarrier has reported that it has seen a big increase in demand for rail freight between Asia and Europe. It is stepping up its service, in common with some other carriers, to meet this demand. In 2016 there were around 1800 trains carrying goods between China and Europe; by 2020 the figure is expected to increase to 5000. The company also says that customers are increasingly looking for sustainable services.
The company, which strives to operate in a sustainable way, said that the service is part of its programme to reduce CO2 emissions by 15% by the end of 2017 when compared with 2015. The service is currently only for FCL at present however Greencarrier is investigating the possibility of providing an LCL service in the future.
In an effort to cut the transit times between China and Europe, China has decided to revive the ancient Silk Road, with multi-billion USD investments for various infrastructure projects for both maritime and land transport in multiple countries. This major investment includes more than 50 rail connections between European and Chinese cities. Geographically, the venture comprises 65 countries and is funded by several international players, including multilateral financial institutions.
The new Silk Road is expected to cut delivery times in half, be kinder to the environment and help combat the high cost of air transport.