The "China Railway Express" container block trains run between China and Europe on the route of the New Silk Road. Eurasians put their hopes on them to achieve the "Chinese dream" and "World dream". The development of traffic by means of container block trains running between China and Europe opens new prospects for cooperation between China and Europe on a mutually beneficial basis of joint creativity and interaction.

 

Cooperation between continents: new opportunities

Although China and Europe are located at the two remote ends of the route «One Belt – One Road”, however this fact is not a barrier on the way to develop cooperation between China and Europe within the project of container block trains under the brand of “China Railway Express”.

Mr. Dong Jianmin, Deputy Chairman of OSJD Committee based in Warsaw pointed out: "In 2016. over 1700 container block trains of "China Railway press" were organised from China to Europe and backwards, and the total distance covered by those trains amounted to more than 17 million km that is equal to 424 times around the world. If one puts all the carried containers in one lineup, their total length will amount to 900 km, which is equal to the distance between Beijing and Nanking".

China has been putting forward such world initiatives for many years now, which arouses significant interest and permanent attention of the world community. Prom 2013, when the initiative of “One Belt – One Road” was put forward, the container block trains under the brand of "China Railway Express" between China and Europe have been turning into a new driving force to encourage trade relations between China and Europe.

Container block trains under the brand of "China Railway Express" run between China and Europe covering thousands of kilometers, and the “One Belt – One Road” project connects the Asian-Pacific region with European economic zones, providing closer interaction between Europe and China.

 

Major hub stations along the route

The Lodz station is the largest freight railway hub station in Poland. At this station, the frame crane unloads the containers of blue colour, which have the well viewable marking of “China Railway Express”.

The city of Duisburg is the largest inner river port and an important transport-logistics hub between China and Europe. Container block trains of the Chongqing – Xinjiang – Europe route arrive in Duisburg, where containers from China are sent further to consumers in different regions of Europe.

The port of London is a center of re-consignment of goods delivered through railway border crossing points to Great Britain. The container block trains with containers depart through the English Channel Tunnel to Yiwu city in the province of Zhejiang, which is a developing centre of international medium-scale and small-scale wholesale trade and the location of the largest wholesale market in the world.

The “Golden time” in the development of trade-economic relations between China and Europe has already come. We still remember the President of the Republic of Poland and the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China tasting Polish apples at the ceremony devoted to the arrival of the first “China Railway Express” train in Poland and the departure of the first train with Polish commodities to China, which took place in June, 2016. The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in the republic of Poland Xu Jian noted that positive results were observed in the “process of implementation of the strategic “One Belt – One Road” initiative.

In the recent past, Europe still deliberated what the initiative “One Belt – One Road” would bring it, and today many countries already speed up their steps taking active participation in the initiative that provides large-scale opportunities for development.

It is also evident from the international Belt and Road Forum that took place in Beijing on 14-15 May 2017 at the initiative of the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping with participation of the leaders from many Eurasian countries and international organisations, including the Chairman of OSJD Committee Tadeusz Szozda.

The European countries strive to connect their strategic plans to the Chinese initiative One Belt, One Road, including the Juncker Investment Plan of the EU, cooperation between China and countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the 16+1 format, creation of the Eurasian economic Union, UK Infrastructure Modernisation Plan, Industry 4.0 of Germany, Long-term National Development Strategy 2030 etc.

As it is said in China: "The launch of a new train brings many business opportunities". The Polish railway transport company "SPEDCONT" is responsible for the acceptance of goods and their carriage in the Polish section of the "China Railway Express" route. According to the Head of the company Michal Gawin, "the second half of 2016 saw an increase in the number of container block trains running between China and Europe from 20 to 50 monthly, and the number of carried containers increased from 2500 to 5000, whereby goods produced in Europe started to be transported to China".

Chairman of the management board of "Duisport AG" company (Duisburg port) Mr. Erich Staake said: "Container block trains running between China and Europe are getting more and more in demand! At the present time, 20 trains run every week in both directions between Duisburg and the cities located along the route of the Chinese “One Belt – One Road” initiative. In 2016, the revenue of the "Duisport AG" Company amounted to 230 million Euros and reached a historical record".

"After the Brexit process, the Great Britain places its hopes on the Chinese market", - said the general director of the British branch "DP World" of the Company "Dubai Ports World" Mr. Chris Lewis, - the "China Railway Express" train is a tower to strengthen the sector of business between the Great Britain and the global trade partnership".

The Chinese dream, the world chance. The "China Railway Express9* container block trains run between China and Europe crossing mountains rivers and deserts, covering thousands of kilometres in vast territories of Asia and Europe, bringing tactile benefit to millions of people living along the route*

 

The ceremony of arrival of the first "China Railway Express " container block train in Warsaw with participation of Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping and President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda (20 June 2016)