On February 21, a train left Chengdu in China to travel towards St. Petersburg in Russia. It is the first train connecting the two destinations, with an approximate travelling time of thirteen days. Additionally, St. Petersburg constitutes the 59th international station of the China-Europe Express train service originating from Chengdu. The train’s cargo consists of construction and supporting materials for major New Silk Road projects.

In particular, the Chengdu-St. Petersburg train carries supporting materials for the Baltic Natural Gas Chemical Complex (BCC) project of China National Chemical Engineering Seventh Construction co., Ltd. (Sinochem Seventh Construction). “The opening of the St. Petersburg Express is a successful practice of combining the China-Europe Express Corridor and the key projects of the Belt and Road. Because of the epidemic, shipping customers’ goods by sea takes one to two months. If you ship via China-Europe Express, you can reach the destination in about ten days, saving customers’ time in transit”, commented Wang Weikun, Deputy General Manager of Chengdu International Express Co., Ltd.

Creative fever

Since the beginning of this year, Chengdu International Railway Port has been doing its utmost to ensure the transportation of import and export goods. It has established a coordination mechanism with Chengdu Railway Bureau, Chengdu Customs, and other related units to optimise operational flows, compress the time spent at the station, provide round-the-clock services for train departures and transport goods as much as possible.

On the other hand, Qingbaijiang Customs, a subsidiary of Chengdu Customs, has taken the initiative to liaise with the train company and grasp the train’s dynamics. Its purpose is to understand the export plans and customs clearance needs of enterprises, provide 24/7 customs clearance services at the port, work overtime to review and check the orders, and ensure that “the train runs with zero delays”.

Not only that, but Chengdu has also given full play to the network advantages of the integrated international supply chain solution centre to expand overseas sites continuously. Chengdu International Railway Port has built seven international railway channels and five international rail-sea transport channels, connecting 59 overseas cities and 20 domestic cities. This year, during the Spring Festival, the number of Chengdu international trains and China-Europe trains achieved steady growth, playing an essential role in stabilising industrial products’ supply chain and promoting internal circulation and external markets simultaneously.

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