OCS Spedition offers an innovative rail-based logistics solution to and from China on the new Silk Road

China's economic importance has been growing for some time, offering diverse opportunities as a manufacturing location for numerous German companies. For the electronics, fashion, and toy industries, China is one of the most important production hubs. Imports of Chinese products to Germany, and thus the significance of the Belt and Road Initiative, are steadily increasing. Many automotive parts, telecommunications components, and consumer goods are imported from China. China is well on its way to overtaking Germany as the world's leading exporter.

Import and export via sea routes remains one of the most reliable and cost-effective transport solutions. A container ship can hold several thousand containers, but the long journey takes a good four weeks and requires six to eight stops. Many companies often lack this time when marketing their consumer goods, as they are subject to fast-paced trends that demand a quick response. Air freight offers shorter delivery times but is extremely expensive compared to sea freight. The ideal compromise is the China Rail on the New Silk Road. The train is not only cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and safe, but also boasts shorter delivery times than sea freight and significantly lower transport costs compared to air freight. The China Rail covers the approximately 10,000 km route of the New Silk Road in an average of 17 days.

The freight train marks a step into a new era of global trade between Asia and Europe. The route between Beijing and Hamburg is one of the longest rail routes in the world and is supported by the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. From major metropolitan areas like Beijing, Zhengzhou, and Chongqing, it travels through China, Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, and Poland to Germany. During its journey, the train changes track gauges twice: at the Chinese-Mongolian border in Erlianhot/Zamyn Ude from standard gauge (1435 mm) to Russian broad gauge (1520 mm), and again at the Belarusian-Polish border in Brest/Malaszewicze back to standard gauge. During these changes, the containers are transferred to flatcars with the required track gauge. This process takes less than an hour. The trains are always driven by locomotive engineers who are relieved after several hundred kilometers – at the latest at the national borders.

Thanks to the intelligent integration of road and rail, and close collaboration with the participating railway companies on the new Silk Road, we at OCS Spedition handle the entire door-to-door logistics process for our customers, including all customs formalities. Our expert, Thomas Nawrocki, designs the supply chain precisely according to your wishes and requirements, ensuring your goods arrive at their destination on time and undamaged. Since last year, we have been transporting goods to and from China for customers in the high-tech, electronics, automotive, and consumer goods sectors using this method.