The first full-length container train organised by Nurminen Logistics, Finland, departed on 10 May from Chongqing, China to Central Europe.
The train is routed from China via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and across the Black Sea to Romania.
The Finnish logistics company said in a news report that it had planned the new route from scratch within two months along with KTZ, the Kazakhstan Railways, and that it would follow the Trans-Caspian route, combining rail and sea transport since it is about three times faster than sea freight.
Nurminen currently provides a door-to-door rail service between Asia and Nordic countries and container train services between Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Speaking about the new route which avoids passing through Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus, Mr Olli Pohjanvirta, CEO of Nurminen Logistics said: “Opening the route required strong confidence from China Railways in our operations and, above all, our customers’ trust in us. In addition, Nurminen’s international railway team also showed excellent expertise and implementation in a difficult and fast-paced situation.”