Belarusian Railways and Rail Cargo Austria Company have signed a memorandum of understanding, the Belarusian Railways press service informed. The document was signed within the framework of the conference “From Europe to China along the new Silk Road: Railway logistics of transit through Belarus” in Frankfurt am Main, Germany on 25 April.
Belarusian Railways is interested in further enhancement of the already established business ties and in establishing new partnerships with top logistics companies, which help organize railway and multimodal container transportation within the framework of the strategic economic initiative Belt and Road. The signing of the memorandum of understanding between Belarusian Railways and Rail Cargo Austria Company was another practical step in expanding the geography of cooperation, the press service noted.
The document provides for arranging intermodal transportation by container trains between China and Europe, including the development of routes as alternatives to existing ones for transportation from China to Europe and backward using Belarusian Railways’ transit and transshipment capabilities.
The conference was organized by Belarusian Railways with the assistance of the Embassy of Belarus in Germany. Representatives of major companies, leaders of the market of railway transportation services between China and Europe took part in the conference. Executives and representatives of railway companies, ports, logistics terminals from Belarus, Germany, Russia, Latvia, Poland, China, Kazakhstan, Czechia, and the Netherlands took part in the conference. Container transportation from Europe to China was high on the agenda of the conference.
The development of multimodal services was emphasized. First Deputy Head of Belarusian Railways Igor Shilov informed those present about the readiness of the Belarusian railway operator to arrange any logistics project to deliver freight along the Europe-China route.
Participants of the conference discussed prospects of developing freight transportation by rail from Europe to Asia, ways to link up railway lines at the junction of the 1520mm and 1435mm railway gauges, effective partnership of railways, forwarding companies, and logistics operators along the freight delivery chain, and common approaches to cooperation of all the parties involved in transportation and logistics routes.
