Chongqing - With 76 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of polyester chips and motorcycle parts valued at nearly 15 million yuan (about 2.17 million US dollars), a rail-sea intermodal train departed from Yuzui Station, Guoyuan Port in Southwest China's Chongqing, on April 27.
The train will be shipped to Nigeria and Mozambique in Africa via Guangxi Qinzhou Port. It is expected to arrive in 40 days, and the time efficiency is about 10 days higher than the traditional way.
This train was jointly conducted by the Pacific International Lines (PIL) and the New Land-sea Corridor Operation Co., Ltd. Both sides signed a strategic cooperation agreement last year, focusing on issues such as building global supply chain services, helping inland foreign trade enterprises to reduce costs and increase efficiency, etc.
PIL joined hands with ILSTC to launch a rail-sea intermodal train in Chongqing Guoyuan Port on April 27, heading to Nigeria and Mozambique in Africa. (Photo/Chen Zhan)
The launch of the train opens a new prologue for the cooperation between two sides, jointly boosting the construction of the New International Land-sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC).
Incorporated in 1967, PIL is ranked 12th among the world's top container shipping lines and is also the largest home-grown carrier in Southeast Asia. From a modest ship-owner in Singapore, PIL has developed into a global carrier with a focus on China, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Oceania.
Also, PIL is one of the earliest foreign shipowners to support the ILSTC. As early as in 2017, PIL joined hands with the ILSTC company to develop logistics products, routes and networks.
"The train's delivery marks a new step in PIL's multimodal transportation services," said Gu Youyi, managing director of PIL China. Its intermodal cargo volume is expected to reach 10% of the total by 2023.
"We will continue to promote rail-sea, river-sea, and other multimodal transport services across the country, providing customers with more efficient, convenient, and sustainable integrated logistics solutions and transportation options," added Gu.
Meanwhile, the New Land-sea Corridor Operation Co., Ltd. will further integrate resources and expand the market, to ensure the stability of the industrial supply chain and trigger the coordinated development of the regional economy.