A cross-border intermodal train carrying goods from South Korea has set off from Yantai Port in Shandong Province, bound for Kyrgyzstan. This milestone journey marks the first sea-rail intermodal service at Yantai using a single bill of lading, cutting total transit time from 25 days to just 12.
A cross-border intermodal train carrying goods from South Korea recently departed from Yantai Port in Shandong Province, heading to Kyrgyzstan. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The cargo was shipped from Incheon Port in South Korea aboard the “Xin Xiang Xue Lan,” a vessel operated by China COSCO SHIPPING Corporation Limited (COSCO SHIPPING Group), and arrived at Yantai Port after 14 hours at sea. After unloading and customs clearance, the goods were transported by rail through inland China to the Xinjiang border, and then on to Kyrgyzstan. The entire journey required only one bill of lading, ensuring smooth coordination between international shipping and domestic rail.
Previously, fragmented shipments from Japan and South Korea arriving in Shandong by sea often required carriers to coordinate with multiple domestic logistics providers for further transport. Due to the small shipment sizes, cargo was often consolidated with other goods, leading to long waiting times, complex procedures, and difficulties in shipment tracking.
To advance the implementation of the “single bill of lading” sea-rail intermodal transport at Yantai Port, COSCO SHIPPING Group’s Yantai Zhonghan Ferry Co., Ltd. worked closely with Yantai Port and China Railway Jinan Group Co Ltd to streamline procedures, improve terminal and rail connections, and reduce handover time to just two hours.
The launch of the sea-rail intermodal train at Yantai Port showcases COSCO SHIPPING Group’s integrated “shipping + port + logistics” development strategy and provides a replicable model for enhancing cross-border trade along the Belt and Road.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
