In August Russian logistics companies have launched two container trains to China. Both of them are dedicated to the transportation of wood products. The first service was organised by Russian Railways, the second link was arranged by FESCO.

On 30 August the freight train departed from Chernikovka station in Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, towards the Chinese city of Chengdu. It was arranged by two subsidiaries of Russian Railways – Kuybyshev Railway and TransContainer. 50 forty-foot containers were loaded with products of Kronospan, the Austrian-origin worldwide manufacturer of wood-based panels owning several facilities in Russia, including one in Bashkortostan. At Zabaikalsk railway border crossing, the containers with wood products will be handled from wagons compatible with the Russian gauge (1,520 millimetres) to flatcars applicable for the European gauge (1,435 millimetres). This rail freight link runs only across Russia and China.

FESCO link

The other container train link was launched by FESCO in the middle of August. It connects the Russian Far East with the nearby Heilongjiang province of China. The departure point is Mylki railway station in the Khabarovsk Krai of Russia, the final destination is Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province. The delivery takes 10 days including the transhipment at the Grodekovo/Suifenhe railway border crossing. At the initial stage, the train will be departed from Russia twice a month, in the future FESCO plans to increase the frequency up to four times per month. The service is devoted mainly to the transportation of Russian timber to China.

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