Sea-rail Multimodal Transportation

What is Sea-rail Multimodal Transportation?

With the extension of the "China-Europe Railway" between the mainland and Europe, China is actively supporting the economic development and the nations and areas along the "Belt and Road." Sea-rail multimodal transportation is the import and export of goods from the railroad to the coastal seaport directly by the ship, or goods transported by ship to the coastal seaport after the railroad out of only "one declaration, one inspection, one boundary clearance" can complete the entire process of a mode of transport.

Example of Sea-rail Multimodal Transportation

Multimodal sea transportation has a history of more than 50 years, and the percentage of sea-rail multimodal transports in established international ports typically ranges from 20% to 40%. For example, the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, has direct access to the railroad container formation center (RSC) terminal, and the ease of the rail-water intermodal connection increases the percentage of sea-rail intermodal transport in the total throughput to more than 20%.

Additionally, the Port of Rotterdam cooperated with China-Europe Railway in 2019. With the support of the Rotterdam port shore and sea-rail multimodal transport mechanism, the policy established a more effective, convenient, and affordable logistics and transport channel (Chengdu-Tilburg) for the east coast area of Northern Europe to link to the central and western regions of China with cargoes primarily consisting of electronic equipment and aviation product components. The return cargoes primarily consist of milk powder, complete automobile vehicles, and auto parts.

Advantages of Sea-rail Multimodal Transportation

1. Time Savings: Sea transport is commonly used for intercontinental shipping, while rail transport is highly efficient for domestic transportation. By integrating both modes, it reduces the transit time of goods. Sea-rail intermodal transportation avoids prolonged sea voyages, resulting in faster delivery of cargo to its destination. 2. Cost Efficiency: Rail transport is often more cost-effective than ocean freight, particularly for domestic short-distance haulage. Combining sea and rail transport helps to lower the overall shipping costs, enhancing the economic viability of freight transport. 3. Environmental Impact Reduction: Compared to air transport and road transportation, sea-rail intermodal transportation is generally more environmentally friendly. Rail transport generates relatively lower carbon emissions, and maritime vessels employ more fuel-efficient methods, thus reducing the carbon footprint during the intermodal shipping process. 4. Enhanced Logistics Flexibility: Sea-rail intermodal transportation provides a more flexible logistics solution, especially in the context of multimodal transportation. It allows for swift transshipment of goods between seaports and inland cities, thereby improving the efficiency and flexibility of the logistics network.

Neptune Logistics is committed to China, the CIS region, and Europe's rail transport and international transport with multimodal transport methods which is including international rail transport, sea, air, road transport, and so on. Through the integration of cross-border integrated logistics resources, customers are provided with one-stop services for transporting goods from one country's domestic takeover sites to designated delivery locations within another country. If you want more details about international road transport and other delivery service, feel free to contact us!