Freight train carries China-made engines to France

[TaiShang]

Freight train carries China-made engines to France
Xinhua, November 2, 2017

A freight train loaded with car engines produced in China left Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, bound for Dourges in France Thursday.

The 3,432 engines made by China's Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Company were ordered by French car manufacturer, Groupe PSA.

The engines were transported via the new direct China-Europe freight train route opened on Oct. 28.

The train will pass through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany, reducing the transport time to France by nearly 20 days compared with ocean shipping. The journey will take about 18 days.

The freight train is scheduled to send the engines to France every week until March 2018.

About 16 Wuhan-Europe freight routes have been launched since 2012, linking Wuhan with more than 60 cities in Europe, Central Asia and West Asia.

As of Oct. 20, 277 trains carrying a total of 25,000 containers had travelled the route this year.

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

Freight train carries China-made engines to France
Xinhua, November 2, 2017

A freight train loaded with car engines produced in China left Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, bound for Dourges in France Thursday.

The 3,432 engines made by China's Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Company were ordered by French car manufacturer, Groupe PSA.

The engines were transported via the new direct China-Europe freight train route opened on Oct. 28.

The train will pass through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany, reducing the transport time to France by nearly 20 days compared with ocean shipping. The journey will take about 18 days.

The freight train is scheduled to send the engines to France every week until March 2018.

About 16 Wuhan-Europe freight routes have been launched since 2012, linking Wuhan with more than 60 cities in Europe, Central Asia and West Asia.

As of Oct. 20, 277 trains carrying a total of 25,000 containers had travelled the route this year.

I have been told that the train route is economically unviable, and exists only due to huge subsidies.

Is that true? I am not able to find the report where I read this.

 

[Han Patriot]

I have been told that the train route is economically unviable, and exists only due to huge subsidies.

Is that true? I am not able to find the report where I read this.

You mean the European route? Well the tracks are already there for decades, might as well use it. I am not sure whether it's subsidized, but how do you subsidize it, the train tracks are already there, unless you mean operational subsidy? But it will still be operational regardless of whether there are trains moving to Europe.

This is the potential.
https://www.joc.com/rail-intermodal/china-europe-rail-growth-exposes-europe’s-structural-shortcomings_20171017.html

 

[AndrewJin]

what? a freight train from my hometown?
I don't know we have that links to EU!

 

[Beast]

Train is faster than ships. Save time means save money.

 

[AndrewJin]

Train is faster than ships. Save time means save money.

but we need make in india trains, then they will fly faster than planes.

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

You mean the European route? Well the tracks are already there for decades, might as well use it. I am not sure whether it's subsidized, but how do you subsidize it, the train tracks are already there, unless you mean operational subsidy? But it will still be operational regardless of whether there are trains moving to Europe.

This is the potential.
https://www.joc.com/rail-intermodal/china-europe-rail-growth-exposes-europe’s-structural-shortcomings_20171017.html

The tracks are there but all of different standards. I have read that the trains have to actually transfer luggage at various borders multiple times.

Also, yes the subsidy is for largely operational reasons.

Because there are two types of customers:

1. Price Sensitive: These will opt for Shipping since a 20 foot container can be easily sent anywhere on the globe in less than 2000 USD.

2. Time Sensitive: These people usually then prefer Air Cargo.

Train is faster than ships. Save time means save money.

But not by much. These are not high speed trains. These trains are normal trains, and in fact, due to multiple track changes and borders, they run rather slowly for trains.

Yes, they save some time compared to ships, but usually very time sensitive people prefer Air Cargo.

 

[Beast]

But not by much. These are not high speed trains. These trains are normal trains, and in fact, due to multiple track changes and borders, they run rather slowly for trains.

Yes, they save some time compared to ships, but usually very time sensitive people prefer Air Cargo.

Even normal freight trains in Europe can hit 100km/h. Engines are no small items. Shipping using air cargo cost is very high. Ship by train can shelve off 33% of the shipping time and no worry for pirates of somalia.

 

[egodoc222]

but we need make in india trains, then they will fly faster than planes.

@waz

 

[samsara]

I have been told that the train route is economically unviable, and exists only due to huge subsidies.

Is that true? I am not able to find the report where I read this.

And who told you exactly? How did they know that train route is economically unviable?

No clear source means just some insinuation... for whatever purposes!

 

[AndrewJin]

And who told you exactly? How did they know that train route is economically unviable?

No clear source means just some insinuation... for whatever purposes!

You r biased....
Those trains will take make in india back to China....

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

And who told you exactly? How did they know that train route is economically unviable?

No clear source means just some insinuation... for whatever purposes!

Yeah, read the second line. That I can't find the source right now.

I will post once I do find a source.

 

[Realtalk108]

And who told you exactly? How did they know that train route is economically unviable?

No clear source means just some insinuation... for whatever purposes!

This article for example - http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/busin...g-across-one-belt-one-road-rail-route-nowhere

"Eastbound marine container rates from Europe to China shot up at the beginning of this month. The week our train left, it cost slightly more than US$1,500 to ship a 40ft container by sea from Europe to China. The cost of sending the same container by rail was quoted at US$2,500, two-thirds more expensive. The cost differential between westbound services was even wider, with sending containers from China to Europe by rail two and a half times more expensive than by sea."

"Certainly Scotch whisky, which has typically spent 10 years or more maturing in dank Highland cellars, has no great need to reach the market a couple of weeks sooner. Nor do the shoes and socks that made up much of the cargo of the first westbound rail service from China to the UK earlier this year gain anything by arriving a few days earlier at twice the cost."

Is there something that people are missing?

 

[Cyberian]

Congratulations China.

but we need make in india trains, then they will fly faster than planes.

Trains Made In India will be faster than light and lighter than air.

 

[Han Patriot]

The tracks are there but all of different standards. I have read that the trains have to actually transfer luggage at various borders multiple times.

Also, yes the subsidy is for largely operational reasons.

Because there are two types of customers:

1. Price Sensitive: These will opt for Shipping since a 20 foot container can be easily sent anywhere on the globe in less than 2000 USD.

2. Time Sensitive: These people usually then prefer Air Cargo.



But not by much. These are not high speed trains. These trains are normal trains, and in fact, due to multiple track changes and borders, they run rather slowly for trains.

Yes, they save some time compared to ships, but usually very time sensitive people prefer Air Cargo.

Well, it is a commercial venture, I think the track switching and customs clearance are done by a consortium set up by all the countries involved with the route. If it doesn't work out, this thing will die, but apparently the usage is surging.