Kerry Logistics Network Limited, Asia’s leading logistics service provider, today participated in the commencement ceremony of the first eastbound freight train from London to Yiwu with the support of a long standing customer for this service. The project is not only a significant step forward in the Group’s development strategy in line with the ‘One Belt One Road’ Initiative, but also a strategic move advancing the Group’s further expansion into the rail freight and multimodal services.
The train, departing from London today, is scheduled to arrive eastern China’s Yiwu in around 18 days. The 7,500-mile journey will pass through nine countries, including France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. The freight cost is lower than that of air and ocean freight, while it is twice as fast as ocean transport.
In August 2016, Kerry Logistics successfully delivered a rail freight shipment of over 80 containers from Yiwu to Madrid, Spain, passing through eight countries in 19 days. London is the 15th European city and the latest destination added to the China-Europe rail network under the Belt and Road Initiative. The first freight train from Yiwu to London launched on 1 January 2017 took 18 days. It was mainly for carrying clothes, shoes and other consumer goods made in China.