C.H. Robinson starting China-Europe rail service

Transit touted as faster than ocean and cheaper than air.    C.H. Robinson announced Tuesday that it had launched a rail freight service between China and Europe.
   The new service offering connects nine origin terminals in China with eight destination cities in Europe.
   The new service “complements our air and ocean offerings,” said Mike Short, president of global forwarding at C.H. Robinson. “It is for freight that requires faster transit times than ocean, at twice the speed, with substantial savings over air.”
   Ivo Aris, vice president of C.H. Robinson Europe Global Forwarding, added: “Until recently, a large percentage of container shipments from China to Europe were delivered by sea. By adding this service to our portfolio, we won’t compete with ocean shipping or air freight, but rather further complement the breadth of services we already offer to our customers.”
   Each freight train requires about 18 to 20 days to complete the tour between terminals in Zhengzhou, Suzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Wuhan, Yiwu, Xiamen, Shenzen and Guangzhou in China with the cities of Melaszewicze, Hamburg, Duisburg, Milan, Tilburg, Lyon and Paris and Barking in Europe.
   C.H. Robinson said it will offer empty container pickup, collection at factories, customs declaration at origin, customs clearance and further pan-European distribution by intermodal and truck services at destination areas. Full block train, single or multiple containers, LCL shipments and oversized cargo are available options.