New rail link between China and London

A new freight train service between London and the German freight hub of Duisburg has launched, with an onwards connections to China.

According to specialist publication the Railway Gazette, the new service is operated by GB Railfreight and Transfesa on behalf of CMA CGM Logistics

The first China-bound cargo train carrying British products left London for eastern Chinese city of Yiwu on April 10, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua/Lu Lantian]

In the UK, the first direct service between China and the UK made national headlines in January 2017.

Just 17 days earlier, on January 1st, the train left Yiwu West Station and travelled via seven countries before entering the Channel Tunnel and making its way to the Barking Eurohub in east London.

The timing could not have been more significant, as just the day before Prime Minister Theresa May outlined the UK government’s plans for Brexit, including a desire to increase trade with the rest of the world, and Chinese President Xi Jinping reinforced his country’s commitment to global trade at the Davos Economic Forum.

Standing in front of the train, the Minister of Chinese embassy in the UK, Qin Zhu, said that the event was “another testimony of the growing momentum of the Belt and Road initiative, and highlights the unique role of the United Kingdom as an important partner of this initiative.”

Due to different track gauges, the train has to be changed three times on the journey.

The news of a second service between London and China comes after we recently reported that an astonishing 5,000 trains have made the journey between China and Europe since direct services began in 2011.

That’s according to the China Railway Corporation, who have been closely involved with the launch and development of the long distance freight services.

An increasing number of cities in both China and Europe are now served by direct trains, with the number of departures from the Urumqi hub alone expected to exceed 700 in 2018.

This has enabled huge benefits to the multitude of companies who rely on trade between European countries and China. Although air freight remains quicker, it is nevertheless expensive, especially for heavy items.

Sea services, meanwhile, are cheaper but much slower – rail services have opened a new and rapidly expanding middle ground between the two.