Maersk said it launched its first eastbound block train from Southern West Europe to Asia to meet demand as ocean capacity on eastbound services remains limited for now. 

In a statement, it noted that the new intermodal service has moved its first 37 x 40 containers in 32 days. The cargo was sent by truck from Cartagena, Spain, to Madrid during May. From there left via block train to Duisburg, Germany, and from there all the way to Hefei, China, using Małaszewicze, Poland as the EU exit point.

Final destination will be in Nansha, China — the capital of Guangdong Province — where the block train is scheduled to arrive by the end of June. 

“There is a limited ocean capacity right now on the eastbound services. In our constant effort to cater for our customers’ needs, we have tailored a solution for an important chemical company, integrating various transport modes to provide them high flexibility as well as reliability to transport their chemical products,” said Javier Marin, South West Europe and Maghreb Head of Intermodal at Maersk.

Fast, reliable alternative to shipping

It noted that intercontinental rail is a good choice for transporting chemical cargo which needs extra dedication as it requires high levels of complexity. Maersk said utilizing block chain will also add value and alternative solution to chemicals supply chain, securing greater resilience. 

For this first of its kind eastbound block train from Southern West Europe to Asia, Maersk partnered with RTSB, a railway operator along the Eurasian corridor.

“We will continue to work with rail partners to provide fast and reliable service to our customers. This intercontinental block train has been able to stand by its schedule, delivery times and swift transit clearance on time, creating firm ground for further expansion of transcontinental transit. To the extent that, we are currently working on arranging another one to Shanghai, in this case with 41x 40 containers,” said James Seale, Product Manager at Maersk.

Maersk said it continues scaling up its service to meet the growing demand of all our customers on rail. In fact, A.P. Moller - Maersk train services between Asia and Europe todays serves 30 different countries across multiple routes both east and west bound.