DHL fast-tracks links between China, Russia and CIS

Logistics giant DHL has rolled out a key component of its multi-modal offering in China with the launch of daily continental rail services departing from Beijing and Shanghai to Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and back, according to PRNewswire.


The new end-to-end rail service links 14 cities in China with seven CIS countries and Russia. Ocean freight through the China ports of Lianyungang, Tianjin and Qingdao can be directly loaded onto the rail network or taken by road and consolidated before taking to the tracks in Beijing or Shanghai.


Dubbed the "China land bridge", the China to Russia and CIS service broadens the gateway to trade both in and out of Asia as global and regional customers combine DHL Global Forwarding's sea and rail options.


The "China land bridge" cuts transit time from an average of 35 to 42 days by sea to 19 to 25 days by rail and costs 90% percentless than air freight, is 30 percent faster than ocean freight and cuts CO2 emissions by 95 percent compared to air freight on certain routes.


Kelvin Leung, CEO, North Asia Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding, said: "China's phenomenal investment in its rail network is creating a cost-effective and flexible alternative link to West Asia and Central Europe. Customers are beginning to realise that the benefits of rail are only going to get better as the train network grows alongside intra-regional trade amongst the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan."


With this extension of its multi-modal service, DHL Global Forwarding is pioneering a new era of rail freight forwarding in China by capitalising on the country's new infrastructure and the company's ability to provide value-added services that services rail carriers alone cannot supply.


"With DHL Global Forwarding, rail in Asia becomes a powerful option for customers because while rail carriers provide station-to-station delivery, we offer end-to-end services that include break bulk, cargo deconsolidation and last mile delivery. When China's high speed railway – due for completion within the next three years – gets plugged into the current network, the trade gateway between east and west will never have been easier to navigate," added Leung.


Ambrose Linn, head of road freight and multimodal, North Asia Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding, said: "Leveraging the company's strong presence in Europe and expertise in supply chain and on-forwarding abilities, DHL Global Forwarding's China to Russia and CIS rail service offers a 'cost and convenience' advantage that is won by connecting extensive national networks and allowing cargo to be collected from or delivered to every first tier city, thereby cutting pre-carriage and on-forwarding delivery costs. It also answers customers' needs for faster-to-market solutions in China and beyond."


Managed by DHL Rail Competence Centre in Shanghai, customers using the China rail land bridge enjoy proactive services such as the capability to track and trace all shipments anywhere en route using RFID technology in collaboration with China's rail carriers. DHL experts also provide optimal routing and loading solutions, which are integrated with DHL Global Forwarding's multi-modal services in air, ocean and trucking for last-mile delivery.


Added unique benefits of DHL Global Forwarding's new service include a “no deposit fee’’ for containers and flexibility on the type of container used. This allows DHL Global Forwarding to reduce container allocation time and provide empty containers to customers within four to five days – half the usual time.


As a result of DHL Global Forwarding's in-country partnerships, customers can also choose to use second-hand containers or their own. For bulky or oversized goods, wagon transportation is available and dedicated train services can also be arranged.
(Source:http://www.cargonewsasia.com)