VNR and China Railway (CR) jointly held a ceremony to welcome the container block train at Dong Dang Station in Vietnam’s northern province of Lang Son.

The train departed from Huanggang Station in Nanchang city, Jiangxi province, China, on November 22 and arrived at the Yen Vien Station in Hanoi on November 25.The train includes 33 containers of 40 feet in length, carrying Chinese goods exported to Vietnam such as office furniture, food and car spare parts, among others.

After arriving Vietnam, the train will travel back to China carrying Vietnamese goods exported to China, such as agricultural products, minerals, and electronic products, among others.The transportation using the container block train has brought about considerable benefits to customers, as it has helped to shorten the transport time to only four days instead of 15 days by sea. It has also halved the freight rate in comparison to the freight via road transport.

It is scheduled that, the VNR and CR will operate one route per week before increasing it to three routes per week. According to the VNR, the two sides are working to operate more train routes from other Chinese provinces to Vietnam and are attempting to transport goods from Europe, Russia and Middle-Asian countries through China to Vietnam.

The first container train linking Vietnam with China has arrived in Hanoi’s Yen Vien station on November 25, according to the Vietnam Railways (VNR).

According to the VNR, the transportation using the container block train has brought about considerable benefits to customers as it shortens the transport time to only four days instead of 15 days by sea with quick and convenient customs procedures. It also halves the costs compared to road transport.

After the first trial run, the two sides will organise one train trip a week and then three trips per week.The train route results from the cooperation between the Vietnam Railway (represented by Rail Transport and Trading Company- RATRACO) and the China Railway (represented by China Railway Container Co., Ltd).

The two sides have negotiated and signed contracts for container management in the respective territories. They are making efforts to connect with customers to transport goods from European and Central Asian nations to Vietnam through China and vice versa.

A train loaded with auto parts and office equipment departed from the Henggang Railway Station in Nanchang on the day, marking the launch of the service.

The total length of the route is more than 1,700 kilometres, passing through Pingxiang city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to Vietnam.The journey will take around five days, 15 days less than the original route through sea. The cost is only half that of road transport.

The train service will become regular next year.The new service is expected to promote economic and trade cooperation between landlocked Chinese provinces, such as Jiangxi, with Southeast Asia

Source: Vietnam Net