Nippon Express Eyeing China-Europe Regular Freight Trains

September 27, 2018

Tokyo- Nippon Express Co. is poised to launch regular freight train services between China and Europe as early as in February 2019, informed sources said Wednesday.

The major Japanese transport company expects that China's Belt and Road Initiative for the development of regions along the old Silk Road will help expand trade between the country and Europe, leading to further growth in demand for distribution services, according to the sources.

Nippon Express will start operating freight trains linking such inland China cities as Chongqing and Xian, and cities in inland Europe after China's Lunar New Year next February at the earliest, the sources said.

The company will offer one or two round-trip services a month initially and one such service a week in the future, the sources said.

At present, Nippon Express regularly provides goods transport services between China and Europe using some containers carried by freight trains operated by a local company.

In recent years, the volume of such items as auto parts and electronic components transported between the two regions has been rising substantially, the sources said.

Moreover, exports from China to Europe may expand further amid the intensifying China-U.S. trade battle, according to the sources. Jiji Press