The first train from China to Norway via Kaliningrad has arrived. As part of the One Belt One Road initiative, the German DB Cargo Company and its "Scandinavian Space Shuttle" cooperated with the MAN Line Multimodal Transport Company to open a route from Xi’an to Oslo through the Kaliningrad commercial seaport in Russia. Container service.

The train arrived in Kaliningrad on December 26 and then headed north towards Norway. The transportation time from Xi'an to Oslo is 16 days, while the standard travel time via traditional deep sea routes is 40-45 days. Since the goods on this trip include personal protective equipment, delivery time has always been an important factor.

Kaliningrad commercial seaport is becoming an important railway hub along the BRI from China to Europe. Since April this year, more than 90 trains have been processed using the Kaliningrad plant. With the increasing popularity of rail transport between China and Europe, an alternative to the traditional route through the Polish-Belarusian border is needed. As of 2020, the route through Kaliningrad has proven to be the most successful route into the Nordic countries.

Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave surrounded by the European Union in the Baltic Sea. Formerly known as Konigsberg, it was the capital of Prussia and then the largest eastern city in Germany until the Soviet army occupied the area until World War II. It has remained in Russian hands ever since.

Starting from Kaliningrad, a variety of options emerged for further transportation. The territory is an effective link in the multimodal transport network between Europe, the CIS countries and China. Wolfgang Rupf, Managing Director of RTSB Schweiz, said: "The Baltic Sea port and the Kaliningrad region provide an existing, stable network, and a reliable schedule has proven to be effective. The cargo is directly delivered to the port and then directly To reach destinations in Scandinavia, the Benelux or the United Kingdom via feeder ships. By using these multimodal transports, we can absorb more trade volume between China and Europe, thereby alleviating Brest Tensions on the border with Maravichze. Transporting more containers through Baltic Sea ports, due to economies of scale, can reduce operating costs including transshipment. This route is competitive. These advantages of multi-modal products lead people More and more interested."

Since the opening of the railway freight route to Kaliningrad, several other connections have been formed, including Chengdu-Rotterdam and Kaliningrad-Rostock-Verona, and Kaliningrad-Rostock-Verona shipping From Kaliningrad to the Dutch port, there is a sea route between the Baltic ports. However, the route through the enclave has also proven to be effective for rail transportation only. The opening of Xi'an-Neuss Express makes this obvious, which is by far the fastest railway connection between China and Germany. Due to a detour to Poland, the transportation time for this trip is 14 days.

Rupf said: "Baltic ports are an interesting gateway to the ports of Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as well as the Nordic countries." "Trade between the Nordic countries and China is growing, especially since Russia lifted the ban on food transportation. Baltic ports and Kaliningrad provides fast multimodal transportation that can transport direct trains from China to China. This is a faster alternative to the polar Silk Road sea route for the transport of perishable goods."Editor/Luo Wentao