On 20 April 2004, the Chengdu-Shenzhen Express Railway (Rongshen Railway) was launched simultaneously in Shenzhen and Chengdu, making it possible to directly transport cargo between the two destinations on a set schedule. Substantially reducing transport time, the new service only takes 91 hours.
The Rongshen Railway service calls at Chengdu, Chongqing, Guiyan, Dalong, Zhuzhou, Hengyang, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. At the Pinghunan Railway Station, cargo will be transported to Yantian Port via the 22.7 km-long Pingyan Railway. Local companies in the inland areas can enjoy Yantian's door-to-door intermodal transportation service.
Both Chengdu and Shenzhen Customs will create a "Green Channel" for the cargo through Rongshen Railway with a series of simplified procedures including a one-stop declaration, a whole train transit declaration and a write-off upon cargo arrival. Such efforts will not only reduce both time and cost for the companies, but also improve efficiency and streamline procedures.