28 Issue 1 2013 ////Eastern Europe Russian rail – a bridge between east and west

Russian Railways Logistics surprisingly wide range of been using the new CIM/SMGS Europe route. FELB is a partner division (RZDL) upped its places including Saudi Arabia, Common Consignment Note, and supplier of transportation profile recently when it sent Thailand, Malaysia, and the first train arriving in the services for a number of large its first container train from South Korea via its Dostyk German city on 16 November. companies such as BMW, LG, China to Europe using a post with Kazakstan. RZDL has very close Samsung, and specializes streamlined customs system - North China traffic uses the relations with CIS countries, in transit container rail but the company has for some Transiberian railway while especially Ukraine, Belarus and transportation from China to time offered a similar system south China flows go via Dostyk Kazakhstan which are on the Europe via Zabaykalsk, Russia. between Russia itself and in Kazakhstan, then South Russia main transit routes to Europe, Russian Railways Logistics has Europe. and into Europe. The service Central Asia and Middle East. now acquired 10.2% of the FELB The CIM/SMGS common includes seafreight connections The route through Russia and shares from TransContainer consignment note - a rail where necessary, customs Kazakhstan is important for and FELB operates under the equivalent to the TIR system for clearance and forwarding to freight forwarding from China effective control of RZDL. road transport - is issued in both or from the Chinese railway the Northern ports with the route. Current frequency is to Germany, for example. RZDL EuroRailTrans is another paper and electronic form and system if needed. In fact, says Caucasus region and the once a week but service will signed a memorandum on joint venture, mainly concerned fulfils EU requirements for prior RZDL spokesperson Enzhe Southern ports and the Russian be increased to 2-3 container development of transport and with the development of transit authorisation for the Eurasian Nasyrova, “RZDL can offer far east with the European trains per week, says RZDL. logistics with Kazakhstan Temir traffic through Latvian ports, rail corridor for countries logistics solutions to or from any part of the country. RZDL also It would also theoretically Jholy and Belarusian Railways, approved by RZDL in January like China, Kazakhstan and continent.” handles freight forwarding be possible to offer services which envisages the creation 2012. as well as Russia. As far as Russia itself is activities to and from the from, for example, Novosibirsk of a joint transport and logistics RZDL has also been moving According to RZDL chief concerned, RZDL cooperates remote, thinly-populated in Russia to Duisburg, Germany company to control rolling non-military cargo delivery executive officer, Pavel Sokolov mainly with Russian Railways regions of Siberia, providing in 10-14 days for the 5,600km stock and terminal storage for NATO peacekeeping forces it will save clients money as it Holding subsidiaries such important support for the route km or from Vladivostok in facilities, providing attractive from the ports of Latvia to eliminates the charge for re- as JSC TransContainer, JSC economic and social life of the 18-25 days for the 11,570km, but transit solutions throughout Afghanistan. This is joint issuing the CIM consignment Freight One and JSC Freight region. these are not currently being the whole ‘1520 space’ linking project between Russian note at each border crossing, as Two. Routes operated include Sample routes and transit offered. Europe and Asia. The latter Railways Logistics and Gefco well as reducing delays. Saint-Petersburg-Yekaterinburg times include Chongqing in The Russians have promoted refers to the 1520mm gauge of Baltic, with containers sent by RZDL offers rail transport and in the east-west and north- China to Duisburg (Germany) in the Transiberian route as an the railways in Russia and the sea to the port of Riga, where to western Europe from a south directions connecting around 18 days for the 10,700km alternative to shipping services CIS, as opposed to the European container trains are formed from Asia to Europe for decades – and Chinese – ‘standard’ gauge and dispatched to Afghanistan – in Soviet days it was seen as a of 1435mm. via Latvia, Russia, Kazakhstan useful hard currency earner. In The Russian railways (RZD) and Uzbekistan. Transit time contrast to the shipping lines, also recently announced that it from Riga (Latvia) to Galaba which have been scaling back would buy a three-quarter stake (Tajikistan) is 20-22 days and their services lately, RZDL says in Gefco, the logistics arm of 429teu had been delivered by financially-troubled French car late 2012. maker PSA Peugeot Citroën for RZD Logistics and €800m. In fact, RZDL has had Souzvneshtrans are meanwhile a joint project with GEFCO for developing plans for clearance car part transportation to the of non-military NATO French Peugeot Citroën plant in cargo during withdrawal of Kaluga for some time, moving French peacekeepers from 50,000teu from France in Afghanistan. One option is 2011/12. Transportation for the transportation of the loaded car maker’s CKD (completely containers by air to Ulyanovsk knocked down) assembly city and on-forwarding by rail operations also started in the to ports in the Baltic States. Pavel Sokolov third quarter of 2012, with RZDL also provides container that custom remains strong, Gefco handling sea freight train delivery for retailer OBI although it does fluctuate from Argentina to the port of from China to OBI warehouses according to the season – it Riga, and with RZDL providing in the Moscow region. The generally falls away somewhat onward logistics services. complete service includes during the winter. Planned volume is predicted sending containers to four In June 2012, it formed at 400teu per month or one ports of China, namely Ningbo, YuXinOu (Chongqing), a container train per week. The Nanjing, Qingdao, Yantyan, sea Chinese Joint venture for project will run until at least freight forwarding to the port regular block trains on the 2015. of Yingkou, where the train is Chongqing to Duisburg, route Other RZDL joint ventures made up, transportation across including a full range of door- include Container Train China and further transit as a to-door logistics services, in Europe-Asia, a joint project part of a container train to the partnership with Chinese, between RZD Logistics and Moscow rail hub, unloading Russian, Kazakh and German international container transit and organization of container interests. RZDL owns 16.3% transportation operator Far road freight forwarding to client of the share capital. The joint East Land Bridge (FELB). Signed warehouse on the agreed day. venture has already despatched off in March 2012, it aims to There are also several 16 container trains with develop the transit potential projects to develop regular Hewlett-Packard (HP) products of the Russian Railways and international container trains and also sent the first train with organization of integrated from France and Italy to Russia; ACER products in September, services for transportation however, these are currently in and has since late October of transit cargo on the China- the development phase.