China has launched its first grain train service utilizing a multimodal transportation system with just a single bill of lading in northeast China's Jilin Province.
The new transportation method eliminates the need for container changes, significantly lowering the overall costs and enhancing the efficiency of grain transport.
On Thursday, a train carrying 3,000 tons of corn departed from a station in Jilin. It is expected to reach the Yingkou port in neighboring Liaoning Province in 15 hours, where the corn will board a sea freighter bound for the Qinzhou port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Under this new system, the transportation time of the corn will be shortened from 18 days to just 13 days.
"The new system can shorten the overall transportation time by nearly one-third compared with traditional methods. Clients only need to submit an electronic application to access the complete 'door-to-door' logistics service, eliminating the procedures such as repeated communications and multiple settlements in segmented transportation," said Xin Jidong, deputy director of the freight department of China Railway Shenyang Group.
China Railway Corporation began to pilot this new transportation mode on Nov 22, 2024 and has since launched 119 such services.
To further facilitate a smooth and efficient food logistics system, China Railway Group and the country's leading food trader China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Beijing on Thursday, aiming to jointly reduce costs and improve efficiency of food transportation.
The agreement will contribute to the safety and stability of the food supply chain by ensuring timely deliveries, thus helping increase income for grain farmers and stabilize China's grain market.
China launches new grain train service
