At about 10:30 a.m. on September 15, the first China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan international railway-road intermodal train departed from Chengdu. It would go through Kyrgyzstan and finally arrive in Uzbekistan. It was learned that the Sichuan tea transported by the train was valued at about RMB 10 million.

The New International Route Saves 3-5 Days Traveling from Chengdu to Uzbekistan

September 15 marked the first day when work and life gradually went back to normal in Shuangliu District, Chengdu. At about 10:30 a.m. of the day, the first China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan international railway-road intermodal train departed from Chengdu (Shuangliu) Air-rail International Intermodal Port. The train would pass through Lanzhou and reach Kashgar, where freights would be transferred from railway to highway and carried from Irkestan Port, Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan.

The freight train with 20 containers of Chinese tea would arrive at the destination in 15-20 days.

Last month, Zheng Shuangli, Chairperson of Chengdu Airport Modern Service Industry Development Co., Ltd., learned that a foreign trade enterprise in Sichuan wanted to export a batch of tea worth about RMB 10 million to Uzbekistan.

How could these goods be delivered from Chengdu to Uzbekistan? Chengdu (Shuangliu) Air-rail International Intermodal Port provided a new solution, namely first transporting it by railway from Shuangliu through Lanzhou to Kashgar, then transporting it by highway from Irkestan Port in Xinjiang through Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan. "Compared with traditional routes, this new route is nearly 500km shorter and saves transport time by 3-5 days," said Zheng Shuangli.

It is learned that this train adopts the international railway-road intermodal model to carry containers, effectively combining the advantages of railway transportation and highway transportation. Through one consignment, one payment, one bill, and one insurance, carriers in highway and railway sections jointly complete the goods transportation task.

"Amid the pandemic, Shuangliu made every effort to ensure smooth international logistics and promote the stability of industrial chains and supply chains to serve economic recovery and development." According to Li Weiran, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Chengdu Shuangliu Aviation Economic Zone, Shuangliu is promoting the transformation of Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport around the core function of an international aviation gateway hub. It intends to make it develop both passenger and freight transportation and become a pan-European and pan-Asian air cargo hub.

Shuangliu Goes Hand in Hand with Lanzhou and Urumqi to Connect 12 Countries

According to an introduction, the successful test of this corridor is a vivid interpretation of strengthening the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the Belt and Road Initiative. It can not only bring business opportunities to relevant foreign trade enterprises in Shuangliu and surrounding areas but also create a stable international supply chain channel between local manufacturing enterprises and Central Asia. At the same time, it will also promote the optimization and upgrading of intermodal transport channels between Chengdu (Shuangliu) Air-rail International Intermodal Port and Central Europe and Central Asia, expand the planning of overseas outlets, further improve the construction system of international trade channels for air-rail international intermodal transport ports, and form unique brand advantages.

According to relevant information, this train involves three partners, namely Chengdu (Shuangliu) Air-rail International Intermodal Port, International Land Port of Gansu (Lanzhou), and China Railway Container Transport Co., Ltd.

"The smooth operation of this train is the result of multi-party cooperation and another embodiment of Shuangliu's effort to strengthen regional cooperation," said Zheng Shuangli. She added that the three parties have made use of the advantages of railway transportation and international road transportation to simplify the customs clearance process and achieve a new breakthrough in the intermodal transport corridor of China Railway Express (Central Asia).

As it makes more "friends", Chengdu (Shuangliu) Air-rail International Intermodal Port now connects 17 cities in 12 countries, with a total of 125 international trains in service, a cargo volume of 4,781 TEUs, and a freight value of RMB 720 million.