New RAIL connection Rotterdam - China for freight trains

[XYZ]

Perhaps a little strange to report on a new Rail connection on this air transport news forum, but this is an interesting proposal for freight trains between the Netherlands and China. A Dutch company proposes to run direct freight trains from Rotterdam to Chongqing. This is interesting as there are several weekly B747 freighters flying between AMS-Chongqing-AMS.

The trip will take 18 days by train, while ships take over 50 days.

Full details here:
http://www.nieuwsbladtransport.nl/Modal ... fault.aspx

[streep]

The Dutch railways cannot even run a scheduled train from Rotterdam to Antwerp !!!

[Richard from Rotterdam]

@ Streep: "Like"

[jp 74]

The Dutch railways cannot even run a scheduled train from Rotterdam to Antwerp !!!

Maybe a international train has its problems in Belgium even the Belgian government has atmitted that there railway system is outdated and need a renewal of about 900 million euro per year for the next 10 years maybe thats the problem?

But i prefer to read about planes instead of trains.

[ehusmann]

The trip will take 18 days by train, while ships take over 50 days.

Sounds more like a competitor to sea-air options than to air options. Air is chosen when time is critical, sea is chosen when cost is critical, sea-air is chosen when both are important. Sea-air from China to Europe takes about 15 to 25 days (my guess, I don't have actual numbers), so if this new rail connection goes for comparable costs, it will compete with sea-air routes. That means not less flights from China, but less flights from Dubai.

Erwin

[streep]

Sea transport takes 50 days because Chongqing is nowhere near open sea. That's why this destination is probably chosen in this advertisement.