Lianyungang builds BRI land-sea logistics hub

Lianyungang in Jiangsu province, East China, is shaping an international logistics model integrating land-sea transport under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The synergy between Lianyungang Port, the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) (Lianyungang) International Logistics Park, and the China-Europe Railway Express (CR Express) train service is pivotal to this model's success.

Committed to broadening Eurasian logistics channels, Lianyungang Port operates six international freight train routes, including the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU), China-Russia, and Trans-Caspian railways. These routes span five exit ports, such as Alashankou and Manzhouli, and cover 104 Eurasian stations.

Located 16 kilometers from the port is the SCO (Lianyungang) International Logistics Park. In 2022, the park launched China's second and Jiangsu's first international freight train on the CKU route.

As Liu Zhibin, head of the park's Logistics Development Department, explained, the CKU route doesn't rely solely on rail, and road transport is also used to deliver goods to other countries after reaching Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. This shortens the journey by about 490 km, and since road transport is more flexible, delivery is faster during peak seasons.

During the first eight months of this year, 494 carriages of goods were transported through the CKU route at the park. Liu added that this has enhanced integration with the CR Express at the main port area, helping SCO countries expand globally from Lianyungang.

Similarly, the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base, relying on the CR Express, has strengthened its international transit capabilities.

It has established a steady flow of westbound cargo such as machinery parts and used vehicles and eastbound shipments mainly consisting of wheat and potash fertilizers, supporting two-way logistics demand in the global supply chain. From January to August this year, the base handled 610 CR Express freight train trips.