C.I.S.Co. - Centro Italiano Studi Containers


COUNCIL OF INTERMODAL SHIPPING CONSULTANTS	ANNO XXXVI - Numero 31 MAGGIO 2018

INTERMODAL TRANSPORT

JOINT EFFORT TO EXTEND "BELT AND ROAD" NETWORK - DIRECT LINE TO THE FAR EAST

The strategic project of the New Silk Road is of particular importance to ÖBB.

With the first direct freight train from China to Vienna, Rail Cargo Group (RCG) - ÖBB's freight division - successfully launched its next train connection between Asia and Europe.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has now been signed between Rail Cargo Group and DHL Global Forwarding with the aim of establishing regular connections along the Eurasian corridor.

Opportunities of the One Belt - One Road Initiative

The New Silk Road consists of three routes: an in essence already existing Northern land link through the Central Asian states via Moscow and a Southern land link via Iran and Turkey to Europe.

There is also a sea connection via the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea to the European Mediterranean ports.

The scale of the project is fascinating: 65 countries with a population of 4.4 billion people are located in the catchment area of the New Silk Road.

Figures of up to 1.3 trillion dollars are cited as the investment volume.

Perfect interaction

The New Silk Road holds enormous potential for the Austrian economy and direct access to a rapidly growing market.

A major advantage for rail transport is that it is environmentally friendly, cheaper than air freight and faster than sea freight.

The aim is to achieve a transport duration of around 10 days until the year 2020.

DHL and RCG have already handled the first direct train from China to Austria.

With the intensified cooperation, new connections between Europe and Asia will be implemented.

A Memorandum of Understanding has now been signed between Thomas Kargl, Board Member for Sales of Rail Cargo Group, and Steve Huang, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Greater China.

"Trade between China and Austria is booming.

This makes it all the more important that we offer our customers attractive connections and a strong network.

With the MoU and their collaboration, RCG and DHL are sending a clear signal.

Together we are bundling our know-how and network," explains RCG Board Member Thomas Kargl.

The aim of the cooperation is to expand rail transports on the Eurasian land bridge through the six countries of China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia and Austria.

This includes the increase in freight transport capacity and the sustainable establishment of alternative routes to the existing China-Europe connections.

Customers benefit from RCG's high-quality network in Europe and its expertise on the Transkazakh Silk Road routes, coupled with DHL Global Forwarding's international forwarding services.

"This key partnership comes in the wake of Austria's Economy Minister having signed 30 business deals worth USD1.9 billion with Chinese companies last month.

The MOU combines RCG's deep expertise in regional rail infrastructure with DHL's end-to-end forwarding capabilities and one of the world's broadest multimodal networks, giving customers in Europe and China a potent new alternative to tap into the opportunities heralded by the Belt and Road," explains Steve Huang.

Thriving economic centre Chengdu

It is no coincidence that the Chinese province is the starting point for future transport operations.

With an intended increase of one trillion yuan by 2022, especially in the biomedical, automotive, intelligent manufacturing and e-commerce sectors, the region has immense potential for high-end exports between China and Austria.

"The Chinese market is particularly attractive for us and Vienna is an important hub for transport operations to and from China.

Starting from the Vienna South Freight Centre, the goods are distributed throughout Europe - between the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. In return, we offer customers from European industry a direct line to Asia with our shuttle services," says Kargl.

Rail Cargo Group: Freight traffic of the ÖBB

The Rail Cargo Group is one of the leading rail logistics companies in Europe with annual sales of 2.2 billion euros and 8,700 employees.

Together with strong partners, the Rail Cargo Group offers a comprehensive network of door-to-door-logistics in Europe and far beyond to Asia.

It connects European conurbations and ports with prosperous economic centers in Russia, Turkey and all the way to China. The Rail Cargo Group's lead operating company is Rail Cargo Austria AG.

ÖBB: Austria's largest mobility service provider

As a comprehensive mobility service provider, the ÖBB Group brings 459 million passengers and 115 million tons of goods to the destination in an environmentally friendly manner every year.

92 percent of traction power comes from renewable energy sources, 90 percent from hydropower.

In 2017, ÖBB was one of the most punctual railways in Europe with around 96 percent punctuality.

Throughout the Group, 41,107 train and bus employees (plus around 1,900 apprentices) ensure that around 1.3 million passengers reach their destinations every day.

The Group's strategic lead company is ÖBB-Holding AG.

(from: railjournal.com/railcargo.com, May 16th 2018)