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ComPany & PeoPle
Far-flung destination China
A record-breaking freight train recently rolled into Duisburg: following 16 days travelling
halfway around the world it brought high-end products from the River Yangtze to the
Rhine. DB Schenker plans to follow up this successful trial run from China, given the relevant
demand and cost-effectiveness, with regular rail transport services soon.
GERMANY
Duisburg
April 4,
11.16 a.m. (UTC)
WarsaW
April 3,
01.10 a.m. (UTC)
POLAND
Minsk
March 31,
07.08 p.m. (UTC)
BELARUS
Spurbreite 1435 The mm freight train covered 10,300 kilometres from
the Chinese metropolis of Chongqing, which is
Spurbreite 1520 mm almost unknown over here, to its destination, the
port of Duisburg. Before the pilot train set off, all the
logistics processes were planned in detail with the cu-
kEEPing a WaTcHstomer,
from the preparation of the freight documents
FuL EYE: With the
DB Schenker Smart-
and the loading of the containers in the Chinese dispatbox
the whole train ching plants, to the pre-carriage and onward carriage by
journey is monitored lorry coordinated with the train’s departure. Instead of
by GPS – including using the oft tried and tested Trans-Siberian Railway,
the temperature in the trial train overcame the Eurasian land bridge further
the containers.
south through North-West China, Kazakhstan, Russia
and Belarus. This route is 2,000 kilometres shorter than
via the Trans-Siberian, but contains one more border
crossing. As with the route via the Trans-Siberian the
containers have to be craned twice en route because the
railway in the transit countries of Kazakhstan, Russia
and Belarus operates on the broad-gauge system.
The trial train to Duisburg conveyed high-end
products of an international group which operates
factories in Chongqing. The City of Light, as it is
known, on the River Yangtze, with almost 30 million
inhabitants, is one of the world’s biggest and fastestgrowing
megacities – many international companies
have their products manufactured there.
To date, exports to Europe have been almost exclu-
40 | Railways
MOscOW
March 30,
07.11 p.m. (UTC)
RUSSIA
saMara
March 29,
01.07 p.m. (UTC)
sively shipped by sea or air. The transfer of containers
from Chongqing to a Chinese seaport alone takes about
three days. In that time the train to Duisburg via the
Eurasian land bridge has already covered half of its journey
through China. Compared with the sea route, transportation
by rail takes only half as long.
“The journey time from the Chinese hinterland, the
arrival in the heart of Germany and the scope for the
fast and secure onward distribution of the containers
from here to their destinations are the attractions of the
service we are offering,” notes Dr Karl-Friedrich Rausch,
DB Schenker CEO. “I hope that the trial train has convinced
our customers. We are certainly ready, given
appropriate demand and cost-effectiveness, to launch
scheduled rail services between China and Germany as
early as this year. ok
Contact |Carsten Helwig
Phone: +49 (0)6107/9868 8150
Carsten.Helwig@dbschenker.com
Photos: Michael Neuhaus/DB AG; privat, Illustration: Illuteam 43