The service was launched in June by Chinese rail operator CDiRS with RailPortbrabant, it’s Dutch partner.
Service frequency is expected to build to five times per week by the end of 2017.
The Chengdu-Tilburg-Rotterdam Express provides door-to-door service in 15 days, connecting Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Ningbo, Wuhan, Yiwu, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Nanning and Kunming, as well as Vietnam and South Korea.
It is a faster alternative than ocean shipping. Port of Rotterdam officials said they can disperse much of the Chinese cargo to other parts of Europe, including the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, with short-sea shipping.
German railroad DB Schenker already operates a “Silk Road” train between Germany, Poland and China.
The rail line to the Netherlands is part of the Chinese government’s “One Belt, One Road” strategy to upgrade rail connections to Europe to spur economic growth.
