[photopress:logistics_hamburg_train.jpg,full,alignright]Understand that this is not new. It happens already. But not quickly. Not often. Not in a planned manner.
Now China and five other nations are to cooperate on a train link between Asia and Europe.
China, Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany have signed an agreement that will speed up transport of goods and cargo between Asia and China and halve current traveling time by sea.
The treaty aims to simplify customs and border checks.
Zheng Mingli, chairman of China Railway Container Transport, said, ‘Barring any complications, a scheduled container train should be shuttling between China and Germany in a year’s time.’
The route, which will link Beijing and Hamburg, is expected to boost trade and cargo flows between the two continents and would allow goods to be delivered in a record 18 days. Currently, delivery of cargo by sea between the two destinations takes about 40 days.
A test container train carrying a load of Chinese goods, including electrical appliances, clothes, shoes and ceramic tiles has already rolled out of Beijing and is expected to arrive in Hamburg in 18 days.
The problem will be whether any border officials, seeing a quid to be made, start to interfere. If they are sorted — and that will not be an easy task — it will change the face of freight although bear in mind when it comes to sheer volume a ship has it all over a train. On the other hand the train is, as it where, ready packaged for delivery.
Source: DW-World
