A train organised by Swiss intermodal operator Hupac and Chinese chemical producer Markor left Korla in northwest China on May 26, carrying 82 ISO tank containers loaded with high-value chemical products for customers in Germany and France.

‘We plan to cover the distance of 8 000 km in 18 days, crossing borders and fulfilling customs procedures of six different countries’, said Hupac Production Director Silvio Ferrari. The tank containers will be transferred to and from 1 520 mm gauge wagons at Dostyk in Kazakhstan and Šeštokai in Lithuania.

Hupac has acquired its own 1 520 mm gauge rolling stock as part of its strategy to develop east-west traffic. ‘We want to open our European network to traffic flows to and from Asia and provide stable, reliable solutions for intercontinental intermodal transportation, and actively participate in the Chinese One Belt, One Road project’, said Deputy Managing Director & Head of Corporate Development Peter Weber. Hupac aims to bundle volumes, and believes that the provision of regular and stable intercontinental services will help to develop the market by making rail more attractive to customers.