Kerry Logistics sets foot on the first UK-China freight train under belt and road

Kerry Logistics Network Limited recently participated in the commencement ceremony of the first eastbound freight train from London to Yiwu with the support of a long-standing customer for this service. The project is not only a significant step forward in the Group’s development strategy in line with the ‘One Belt One Road’ Initiative, but also a strategic move advancing the Group’s further expansion into the rail freight and multimodal services.
The train, which departed from London, is scheduled to arrive in eastern China’s Yiwu in around 18 days. The 7,500-mile journey will pass through nine countries, including France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. The freight cost is lower than that of air and ocean freight, while it is twice as fast as ocean transport.

In August 2016, Kerry Logistics successfully delivered a rail freight shipment of over 80 containers from Yiwu to Madrid, Spain, passing through eight countries in 19 days.

London is the 15th European city and the latest destination added to the China-Europe rail network under the Belt and Road Initiative. The first freight train from Yiwu to London launched on 1 January 2017 took 18 days. It was mainly for carrying clothes, shoes and other consumer goods made in China.

Kerry Logistics will continue to develop under the Belt and Road Initiative to create new form of transportation models, offering more options to customers across various industry segments.