DB, China railways sign freight agreement

DB, China railways sign freight agreement    The Chinese Ministry of Railways and Deutsche Bahn this week signed a memorandum of understanding in Beijing aimed at developing Asia/Europe freight rail connections and bolstering rail infrastructure in China.
   'We are ready for closer cooperation with China,' said Jan M'cke, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport. 'German expertise and German technology will play an important role in stepping up cooperation. Rail is the backbone of our freight transport. We want to become even more efficient, particularly on long hauls, and that will also help on transports to and from China.'
   'China offers growth potential for our customers and for us,' said Karl-Friedrich Rausch, member of the management board of DB Mobility Logistics AG, responsible for transportation and logistics. 'The more Chinese production sites that move from the coast inland, the more interesting rail transport to Europe becomes for many manufacturers. We want to meet this demand.'
   The two parties said they would also seek to involve the Russian Railways, RZD, to beef up trans-Eurasian rail freight transports.