On 4 August 2007, a cargo train loaded with Wyeth powdered milk departed from Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT) bound for Guangzhou. This shipment marks the latest breakthrough in import transportation in Shenzhen, after this year's implementation of "Green Logistics" by YICT's multi-modal transportation.
"As railway transportation enjoys the advantages of large freight volumes and low pollution emissions, YICT has worked closely with the state railway authority and Wyeth and has taken the lead in launching this new eco-friendly mode of import transportation in South China," remarked Mr. Ronald Leung, Head of Cargo Sourcing at YICT and General Manager of Pingyan Railway Company.
Presently, more and more international companies are giving priority to environmental protection when improving their manufacturing processes and cargo shipment. With advantageous features such as large freight volumes, a high degree of safety and providing an environmentally friendly alternative for shipping cargo, railway transportation meets the needs of environmental protection in terms of reducing hazardous gas (carbon dioxide) emissions resulting from fuel consumption and minimising noise pollution, thus becoming the preferred mode of transportation for many companies promoting "Green Logistics".
Multi-modal transportation enables YICT to optimise logistics processes and reduce logistics costs for both importers and exporters. Since cargo shipment in Guangdong is export oriented, lots of empty containers have to be delivered to Guangzhou first, before they are loaded with cargo for export, which increases costs in cargo movement. But thanks to the cooperative relationship between YICT and Wyeth, the efficiency of import and export logistics as a whole will be greatly improved. The new and improved process will involve the shipment of import laden containers to Wyeth’s distribution centre in Guangzhou, after which the same containers will be loaded with cargo and then delivered to YICT for export.
The new process is expected to increase the service frequency for exports using multi-modal transportation to once every week if business remains stable. Not long ago, in April 2007, YICT and Hasbro, one of the world's leading toys and games manufacturers, jointly launched the Dalang (Guangzhou) – Yantian Container Rail Service to export Hasbro’s products. This service uses YICT's dedicated rail facility at Yantian Port, the Pingyan Railway. The dedicated railway service bridges the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway via the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway, making it possible to extend port services to inland areas such as the two cities of Changsha and Nanchang and Guangdong province.