Express train links China to Germany

A new express train from China has arrived at a German port terminal for the first time, bolstering China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

The new Shandong-Europe Express train departed Shandong Province’s capital Jinan on 10 April and arrived in the Port of Hamburg’s Billwerder Terminal on 30 April, carrying time-sensitive cargo.

“Hamburg is not only a hub for ocean shipping with China, but also an important junction for rail traffic between Europe and China on the New Silk Road,” Axel Mattern, executive board member of Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM) stated.

The Shandong-Europe Express, operated by the Shandong Hi-Speed Group, is loaded with 41 40-foot containers (FEU) filled with wind turbine parts, LEDs, tools, and medical supplies. Currently, the train only operates from China to Europe.

Last year, 204 train connections per week were run between the Port of Hamburg and 20 destinations in China. In 2019, around 100,000 standard containers (TEU) were transported by rail.

The Port of Hamburg has a throughput of about 2.6m TEU of seaborne containers for China annually. Almost every third container handled on the quays there is coming from or headed to China. The Port of Qingdao provides Shandong Province with ocean connections to the Port of Hamburg.

Rail plays an increasingly important role in transporting cargo, balancing time and cost against air and sea transportation.