Russian transport corridor connects China and Western Europe

The president of Russian Railways, Oleg Belozerov, and the CEO of Russian Post, Dmitry Strashnov, have signed an agreement for the rail transport of mail and small parcels between China and Europe. The project should help reduce the time parcels are on its way, while also reducing transport costs for online retailers.

The volume of international mail has shown some dynamic growth, so the agreement for a new logistics route comes at a great time. That’s also what the statistics show: in the first half of this year, Russian Post handled about 98.7 million international shipments with goods or products, which is more than twice as many as in the same period last year.

Significant increase in ecommerce between China and Russia

“In the last few years we have seen a significant increase in ecommerce between China and Russia”, said Oleg Belozerov, the President of Russian Railways. “Since this business is particularly sensitive to delivery terms, we are offering a new service that will not only reduce the time of parcels in transit, but also reduce transport costs in comparison with other modes of transport.” He thinks the new service will be profitable for both suppliers and their customers.

‘Good alternative to air delivery’

It’s the first time a direct rail transport corridor for mail and small parcels will connect China and Western Europe. According to Russian Post’s CEO Dmitry Strashnow, the new mail route will offer a good alternative to air delivery, both in terms of delivery times and quality. “For us, it is important not only to provide a convenient transit corridor for freight traffic between East and West, but also to establish favorable conditions for Russian exports. In addition, we will do this in both directions, both to China and to European countries”, he added.