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11. June 2020The inaugural use of complete trains from Europe to China by DHL reflects the increasing demand for transport capacities and shorter transit times to Asian countries by rail. One of the new connections starts from the KTL terminal at the BASF site in Ludwigshafen.
(Bonn) Due to the sharply rising demand, DHL Global Forwarding, the logistics specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, has been operating two full trains on the New Silk Road between Germany and China since the end of May for the first time. One of the new connections starts from the KTL terminal at the BASF site in Ludwigshafen and travels through Poland, Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan to the destination terminal in Xi’an, the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. Additionally, a new express train connection has been established between Neuss and Xi’an via Kaliningrad. The transit time is reduced to twelve days. As DHL Global Forwarding consistently expands its rail transport network, the transport service provider enables faster transit times to Asia for full container loads (FCL) and less than container loads (LCL). The inaugural use of complete trains from Europe to China reflects the increasing demand for transport capacities and shorter transit times to Asian countries by rail. DHL has been offering full trains with departures from Xi’an and Chengdu to Europe for some time now.
“In recent years, we have seen an increasing demand for rail connections to and from China,” explains Thomas Kowitzki, Head of Chinarail, Multimodal at DHL Global Forwarding Europe. “Due to their cost efficiency, short transit times, and lower CO2 emissions, they are a real alternative to other modes of transport. To always provide our European and global customers with the right mode of transport for their business expansion in Europe and Asia, we continuously work on expanding and optimizing our transport network, our capacities, and our service speeds. Utilizing the logistics services and infrastructure of the KTL terminal in Ludwigshafen is another step towards a more interconnected world with more stable supply chains.”
Ludwigshafen is an Ideal Starting Point
Max Siep, Head of Business Development/Network Management Chinarail at DHL Global Forwarding Europe adds: “As a European gateway, the Rhine-Main area around Ludwigshafen has a high transport demand, making it an ideal starting point for our trains. With the new offering, more customers can benefit from our reliable, fast, and environmentally friendly rail transport products. There are more departure times, and at the same time, we are gradually improving transit times.”
The new rail services from Germany to China have been developed in collaboration with the long-standing partner RTSB GmbH, Friedrichsdorf, Germany. The full trains are loaded with goods from all over Europe and are transported 9,400 km via the New Silk Road to the central rail hub in Xi’an. From there, DHL distributes the goods within China as well as to neighboring countries such as South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The new rail connections also shorten transit times for customers from other European countries such as the Benelux states, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal.
The expansion of the intermodal network and the associated expertise of DHL Global Forwarding reflects a central point of the corporate strategy of Deutsche Post DHL Group “Strategy 2025 – Delivering excellence in a digital world”: Enabling global trade, connecting people, and improving lives.
Photo: © DPDHL (KV-Terminal)
