China's port operators to increase rail links to inland cities
Port operators in Shenzhen are hoping to increase the cargo services to places like Chengdu and even a daily service to Changsha
Shenzhen ports in Shekou and Chiwan are planning to strengthen their rail freight links with China's western cities by setting up containerised cargo services to Chengdu, Chongqing and Kunming, a senior Shekou port official has confirmed.
Erik Yim, managing director of Shekou Container Terminal (SCT), said the new railway freight services could start next year and would augment services between the two western Shenzhen ports and Changsha.
He and other transport experts said further development of China's high speed rail network would be important to the growth of containerised cargo services because freight trains could use the tracks previously used for passenger services.
"If railway conditions can be improved, we hope that we can have a daily service from Changsha within two years," he said.
Rail freight experts are forecasting significant growth in containerised import and export cargo moved by rail, while operators DB Schenker Rail and DHL Global Forwarding are exploiting international containerised rail.