GEFCO, a global player in industrial logistics and the European leader in automotive logistics, has received the cargo from its first dedicated rail connection from China to France. The train covered 11,000 km and reached Dourges in northern France from Wuhan, China, in less than 3 weeks. The transport of 12-meter containers was carried out for the PSA company.
A journey along the Silk Road
The block train departed from Wuhan, China, on November 3, 2017, and its route ran through Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus. On the section between Dostyk (Kazakhstan) and Brest (Belarus), where the rail gauge is 1520 mm, the transport was handled by the United Transport and Logistics Company (UTLC) rail consortium. The train then traveled through Poland and Germany, finally reaching the terminal in Dourges, France, on November 22. After customs clearance, the cargo was delivered directly to the Française de Mécanique plant, a subsidiary of PSA, in Douvrin, northern France. The journey, lasting less than 3 weeks, took place along the Silk Road trade corridor, passing through seven countries, with the train covering an average of 600 km per day. GEFCO and its GEFCO Forwarding teams from Shanghai, Moscow, and Paris were responsible for project management and coordination with their rail partners in various countries. The full-container rail connection is part of the Chinese government’s One Belt One Road initiative, which aims to leverage the potential of the new Silk Road connecting China with Europe. The completed transport to France plays an important role in building the country’s position on this route, as most cargo has previously been transported to Germany or Poland.
The new Silk Road in the spotlight for GEFCO
While China is investing heavily in the development and promotion of rail transport between Asia and Europe, GEFCO continues to expand its rail-based services to meet the growing needs of its customers. Rail transport is complementary to air and sea freight, and due to lower costs and environmental benefits, it has many advantages for transporting critical goods such as automotive parts, electronic products from China, and consumer goods or spare parts transported in the opposite direction. The train transport time is half that of sea freight, while compared to air freight, rail is significantly cheaper and causes less environmental pollution. The average monthly volume of GEFCO’s rail transports in both directions is 300 TEU.
– With over 65 years of experience in the logistics industry, GEFCO has been organizing rail transports from Asia to Europe for over 4 years. The Group supports the growing trade exchange between these two continents and also carries out container deliveries by rail, constantly looking for new cost-effective, flexible, reliable, and secure solutions that meet customer requirements and support their growth – said Anthony Gunn, GEFCO Executive Vice President of Freight Forwarding.
GEFCO has been present in China since 1995, where it employs over 2,000 people, has 10 offices, and partners throughout almost the entire region. The Group also operates in Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea. The company is constantly looking for new and competitive solutions that meet customer requirements and support their development in Asia and Europe. It offers a full range of services tailored to its clients’ portfolios, from FCL (Full Container Load) and LCL (Less than Container Load) to the transport of finished vehicles.