On 28 November 2007, for the first time, a fully loaded freight train departed Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT) en route to Kunming in China's Yunnan Province. The rail connection is the land leg of a new intermodal service that connects ASEAN countries with resource-rich Yunnan via YICT.
On the day of the launching, a ceremony was held at YICT to commemorate the new service. Mr. Zhang Siping, Vice-Mayor of Shenzhen; Mr. Liang Xiaogu, Vice-Mayor of Kunming; Mr. Ma Hongying, Secretary of the Party Committee from China Railway Container Transport; and Mr. Yang Yuzheng, Chief Engineer from Guangzhou Railway Group; all attended to show their support.
Yunnan is rich in natural resources such as minerals and tobacco. As a result, it is on the front lines of the "China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone". The intermodal rail link between Yantian and Kunming will greatly facilitate the movement of cargo to and from the inland province and the coast, thereby giving Yunnan a sea connection to ASEAN countries.
The service has a carrying capacity of up to 50 40-foot or 45-foot containers. It departs Yantian for Kunming every Wednesday and takes 50 hours to complete the 1,795-km route.
YICT has launched other rail services before in collaboration with China Railway Container Transport. These services utilise the Pingyan Railway, a dedicated rail link that connects YICT with the Beijing-Kowloon line and the Beijing-Guangzhou line, and allows YICT to extend its logistics services to its vast hinterland.