Europe, China see increased freight rail routes

CEVA Logistics and Greencarrier Freight Services have launched two separate rail services from China to Europe in an effort to meet growing demand.    CEVA Logistics has launched a new rail service between Shilong in China’s Guandong province to Hamburg in Germany, while Greencarrier Freight Service has launched a similar rail route from China to Sweden, the companies announced in separate statements.
   The year-round service will work in conjunction with the Chinese state railway company, routing Shilong to Manzhouli in China, Zabakalsky in Russia, Brest in Belarus, Malaszewicze in Poland and arriving in Hamburg.
   In addition to this new “southern route” and its existing “northern route” starting in Suzhou, CEVA also operates a “middle route” via Mongolia to Europe to shorten lead times during the winter months and peak season, said the company. CEVA operates both FCL (full container load) and LCL (less than container load) services out of China.
   Greencarrier Freight Service’s new China-Sweden rail route will also pass through Russia and Belarus along the way, the company said.
   Previously, those goods were cross-docked at a warehouse Poland, before taken by road to the final destination. With this new service, the containers are unloaded in Hamburg, Germany and reloaded onto rail wagons to Scandinavia and Hallsberg in Sweden, said the company. Currently, Greencarrier operates FCL services in Hamburg.
   Hamburg has received several other rail services from China in recent months with the expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative, including an LCL service from Kuehne + Nagel International AG in February.