China-Germany railway forges important cargo link
BUSINESS
By Chen Shi

2017-04-22 18:22 GMT+8

7798km to Beijing

In the German city of Duisburg, China’s modern Silk Road is known as a “Silk Rail.” Duisburg is the European terminus for a 14,000-kilometer journey that starts in Chongqing in China's southwest. It is the world’s largest inland port, making it the logistical destination for one of China’s most important cargo links to Western Europe.
DIT Duisburg Inter-modal Terminal is the largest of the nine cargo terminals in Duisburg. It’s a key European hub for railways and shipping. Business made Duisburg well known in Europe. And Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit in 2014 made the city better-known on the other side of the world.
According to DIT, the number of trains between China and Europe has drastically increased from one per week in 2011 to 20 now, accounting for around a third of the company’s total business volume. Michael Sussmuth, DIT sales manager, said along with freight, the Silk Road trains brought employment to the city, helping to create as many as 20,000 new jobs.
According to Sussmuth, many people in Duisburg lost their jobs due to the decline of the metal industry. But “Silk Rail” has given them new opportunities.
His partner Anastasiya couldn’t agree more. She works as a trade lane manager in a subsidiary of Germany’s national railway. Anastasiya said her company established a department to provide customer service for Chinese companies last year. It's still expanding and creating even more jobs.
According to Chinese officials, the Silk Road trains haul cargo to Europe at half the cost of air freight and twice as fast as maritime shipment. 
7798km

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