[230519.EN.BIZ] Rail to be Enhanced at Shanghai's Waigaoqiao and Yangshan Piers

A JOINT venture to enhance rail services has been established in the Port of Shanghai, reports China Daily.

"Sea and rail should play a greater role in container shipping. But it has grown slowly due to the insufficient railways at Waigaoqiao and Yangshan port areas." said Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) president Yan Jun.

SIPG will hold 20 per cent of the joint venture, China Cosco Shipping Corp will hold 20 per cent and the rest will be held by the National Railway Administration and China Railway Container Transport Corp.

"We expect to expand the ocean-rail transport volume to 80,000 TEU by the end of this year, and more than double this to 200,000 TEUs in 2020," said Mr Yan.

The company has been striving to increase the port's ocean-rail transport capacity, and currently all the foundation works have been completed.

The multimodal transport company, with a heavy focus on technology, will have a competitive edge over road transport in environment and cost aspects.

"The absence of rail connection to major port areas has been a major barrier for the Port of Shanghai. Railways are one of the most important solutions for logistics, and it is key to land transportation," said Lin Guolong, director of the Shanghai Maritime University's Logistics Research Centre.

Source : HKSG.