First Dachser Block Train from China to Europe with Destination Ludwigshafen

The logistics service provider Dachser has organized its first block train from China to Germany. The train with fifty FEU, that is, 40-foot containers, reached Ludwigshafen in Germany at the end of December. The organization was handled by teams from Dachser Germany and Dachser China.

(Kempten) This is the first block train heading west that the teams from Dachser in Germany and China have organized. Last year, Dachser had already established a regular block train for chemical products heading east. The team from Dachser China coordinated the entire handling of the pre-carriage with the railway operator, including pickup, gate-to-terminal, and customs clearance. In Ludwigshafen, the Dachser branch in Mannheim organized the distribution of the containers through the Dachser network to other cities in Germany and Europe.

Increased Demand for Rail Freight

“The pandemic and the resulting tight air and sea freight capacities have led to an increased demand for rail freight. The current peak season due to the Chinese New Year in Asia has further fueled the market,” says Vedat Serbet, Rail Services Manager EMEA at Dachser. “We are noticing the trend that more and more customers are looking for reliable and cost-effective transport solutions between the two continents and are opting for the rail alternative.”

Reliable and Economic Alternative

The “New Silk Road,” which connects China via Erenhot in Mongolia, then Russia, Belarus, and Poland with Europe, offers a land route with stable conditions for transport, for example, of chemical goods. At the same time, this solution is a time- and cost-efficient alternative to air and sea freight. “Rail transport is timely reliable; customers can avoid volatile sea freight rates or sudden flight cancellations. And last but not least, rail freight is more economical than air freight,” says Vedat Serbet.

Photo: © Dachser
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