Yichang rail-sea route sends out two southbound freight trains in one week

By Chen Si, Qin Yiyuan and Tang Lingqi.

Yichang’s rail-sea transport channel hit a milestone on June 18 and 19, dispatching two special southbound freight trains in a single week for the first time.

On June 18, 60 standard containers of fertilizer raw materials were loaded at Zhicheng Port Station in Yidu. The following day, another 22 containers departed from Yichang East Railway Station, bound for Southeast Asia.

Both shipments will travel through the Jiaozhou–Liuzhou Railway, pass Huaihua in Hunan, and arrive at Qinzhou Port in Guangxi, with an estimated 10-day delivery time.

“In the past, our goods mainly went east through river-sea transport, and the timeliness and cost were difficult to control," said Huang Xiaolong, one of the cargo owners.

Huang said that the new route can save 10 days of transportation time and 15 percent of total costs. His shipment of monoammonium phosphate, valued at 5.5 million yuan (US$ 760,000), is headed to meet rising demand in Southeast Asia.

According to the carrier, rail-sea intermodal transport significantly enhances delivery efficiency, cost control, and reliability in international logistics scenarios.

Zhicheng Port Station was chosen for the first special train because its surrounding area is a hub for key industries such as new energy, new materials, and fine chemicals, which helps enterprises reduce logistics costs and expand international markets.

According to the Yichang Municipal Logistics Industry Development Center, the new southbound corridor has reduced container costs by 200 and halved delivery times to coastal ports from around 10 days to just 4 or 5.