Experts: Sea-rail intermodal to cement Chongqing's logistics hub status

THE intermodal corridor to Europe from south east China has won support from Fei Weijun, vice director of the Ministry of Transport's Waterborne Research Institute, who says a sea-rail intermodal link will bring Chongqing closer to the world and cement its status as shipping and logistics hub.

Chongqing's plan to develop a railway intermodal "new silk road" via Xinjiang, Central Asia to Europe and a sea-rail intermodal corridor via Kunming to South East Asia.

Mr Fei considers sea-rail intermodal as a way to fully utilise the advantages of both railway and waterway. High-quality sea-rail intermodal service can effectively enhance efficiency and lower cost, boosting hinterland region's export business.

Chongqing is a lead port in the upper Yangtze River region. Its mileage of navigational channels of third category and above takes up 75 per cent of the region's total. Port throughput capacity accounts for 85 per cent of the region's total and the only port to have deep-water terminal of 5,000 tonnes in the region. Shipbuilding capacity occupies 80 per cent of the region's total. Container fleet capacity even takes up 98 per cent of the region's total. In 2011, Chongqing's waterway cargo transportation volume and port throughput both surpassed 100 million tonnes.

Chongqing is the only million-tonne river port in China, said Mr Fei, others who have equivalent large throughput are seaports.