PKP Cargo planning to develop China rail link
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
17.06.2015 08:26
PKP Cargo, Europe’s second largest railway freight transporter, has announced its planned cooperation with a Chinese railway company in order to increase the number of trains between Poland and central China.
PKP Cargo is Poland's largest player in rail logistics. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Polish company signed a letter of intent with Chinese Zhengzhou International Hub from Henan province, central China.
The two rail operators agreed to form a new company, ‘joint venture,’ with each operator holding 50 percent of the shares.
The new company will be responsible for forming an investment plan for the PKP Cargo logistics centre in Małaszewicze, on the Polish-Belarusian border, which will enable it to receive Chinese containers destined for the EU.
A cargo link between China and Poland was established in late 2013 though the number of trains being used remains relatively small.
The rail link offers transport time of 11-14 days from China to Germany, compared to 35-40 days by ship.
However currently only 3.5 percent of Chinese exports to the EU travel via land as traditional container ships continue to dominate inter-continental trade.
PKP Cargo stated that thanks to the cooperation it hopes to eventually boost the number of trains making the journey from China to Europe to around 300 a year. (sl/rg)
Source: PAP