Suzhou opens tailor-made China-Europe freight train service

2020-05-13 15:36:00

Two China-Europe freight trains designated exclusively for the Suzhou Area of China (Jiangsu) Pilot Free Trade Zone (JFTZ) left on May 12 on their maiden trips.

A launching ceremony was held at the Jiangsu (Suzhou) International Railway Logistics Center in Suzhou’s Jinchang New City, from where the trains carrying about 100 million yuan ($14.1 million)’s worth of goods set off for Russia and Germany.

The 1,100-ton cargo in 172 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), all from enterprises in the JFTZ Suzhou area, included dozens of industrial products, such as numerically controlled machine tools, household appliances, telecommunication base stations, and medical equipment.

Samsung Electronics (Suzhou) signed a memorandum of cooperation with the freight train operator to become one of the first companies to enjoy the service. According to Liu Zhigang, deputy general manager of the company, the rail service saves both time and cost, each by 20 percent, especially for cargo transportation to Uzbekistan.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, Suzhou China-Europe trains have been operating normally and steadily while also undertaking transportation tasks that used to be done by sea or air. From January to April, China-Europe cargo trains from Suzhou transported 4,264 FEUs in 104 trips.