Chongqing - On January 1, 2025, the New Year saw the launch of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) rail-sea intermodal trains from six major railway stations in Chongqing, Southwest China.

On January 1, 2025, a rail-sea intermodal train of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor departs from Yuzui Station, Chongqing. (Photo/Guan Zhuohang)

The event, organized by New Land-Sea Corridor Operation Co., Ltd., saw trains depart from stations including Tuanjiecun, Xiaonanya, Yuzui, and Luoqi. It signaled the start of another year of growth and development for the ILSTC.

The shipment, totaling 390 TEUs, is loaded with various goods, including medicines, spices, fertilizers, heavy soda ash, polyester chips, and various chemicals. It also includes tires, microtillers, motorcycle spare parts, automobile components, generator sets, machinery parts, and other types of general-purpose equipment. 

In just two days, the cargo will reach Qinzhou Port, from where it will be shipped worldwide to 12 countries across five continents, including Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, the UAE, the Netherlands, Tanzania, and more.

In 2024, Chongqing made significant progress in developing the ILSTC, closely aligning with the Belt and Road Initiative. Statistics show that over 249,000 TEUs were transported via the ILSTC, marking a 39% year-on-year increase. The value of goods transported exceeded 46.5 billion yuan (approx USD 6.37 billion), a 66% rise from the previous year.

In 2024, Chongqing transported over 249,000 TEUs through the ILSTC, a 39% year-on-year increase. (Graphic/Zheng Ran)

On the morning of December 30, 2024, a train carrying 90 containers, including Indonesian shortening and Hainan coconut juice, departed from Qinzhou Railway Container Center Station to Chongqing Tuanjiecun Station. This marked the 10,000th shipment of the ILSTC in 2024, reflecting a 5.1% year-on-year increase.

The ILSTC's launch in 2024 marked its fifth anniversary. Since then, the corridor has grown from a single route to 22 lines, seamlessly linking with China-Europe Railway Express services. Shipments have surged from 178 in 2017 to 10,000 in 2024, a 55-fold increase.

These advancements have significantly upgraded the ILSTC's infrastructure. In 2024, six new berths at Beibu Gulf Port in Guangxi began operations, and the Beihai and Qinzhou Intermodal Transportation Centers were completed and became operational.

New direct shipping routes were also launched to Malaysia's Kuantan Port, Port Klang West, and Vietnam's Hai Phong Port. A new public liner service was also introduced between Beibu Gulf Port and Singapore, further enhancing the region's connectivity.

"We ensure fast loading and delivery through integrated operations," said Li Hongfeng, director of the Operations Department at Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Intermodal Transportation Development Co., Ltd. He noted that the daily loading capacity of the Beibu Gulf Port sea-rail intermodal liner has reached over 2,060 TEUs, with an average of more than 20 shipments per day.

The corridor offers lower overall costs and provides businesses with new market opportunities. "Imported minerals from South Africa reach Chongqing via the sea-rail intermodal service in just 21 days, a reduction of 15 to 20 days compared to river-sea transport," said Zhang Xi, trade department manager at Chongqing Zhuoyue Industrial Development Co., Ltd.