More trips added to freight train on Binh Duong - China route

On Wednesday afternoon, the first train in 2024 on the route set off from Song Than, the largest cargo station in the south and one of six international stations used in the transport of goods from and to China.

Consisting of 21 cars loaded with agricultural produce, the train is expected to arrive in Zhengzhou City of China’s Henan Province after around 10 days.

This service is jointly organized by the railway sectors of Vietnam and China to enhance logistics connections, promoting trade between the two countries.

Following the initial train, there will be a weekly intermodal train service from Song Than station to China, with the frequency potentially increasing based on demand.

Goods from Binh Duong and the surrounding areas will be gathered at Song Than before being transported to Yen Vien and Giap Bat stations in Hanoi and then transferred to an intermodal train to China.

Trains have operated on this route before but there were just one to two trips per month.

At the train's departure ceremony, Hoang Gia Khanh, General Director of the Vietnam Railways Corporation, said that international intermodal transportation by rail between Vietnam and China was undergoing positive changes with increasing volume.

He said that many businesses preferred rail to road transport as it could save on waiting at the border, and the process of completing export and import procedures for freight trains was more convenient.

Zhang Jianwei, General Director of Au Viet Thong Ha Nam Company in China, said that Vietnamese agricultural produce exported to China made up a large proportion of exports, but less was transported by rail compared to road.

This company hopes for additional policies to support freight trains, especially shortening the transportation time from Song Than Station to Dong Dang Station in Vietnam's Lang Son Province, which also borders China.

"This will make rail transport competitive with other modes, restoring the advantage for international intermodal transport," he said.

Currently, the Ministry of Transport is implementing several projects to upgrade and renovate the Song Than station, with plans to increase its capacity to 3.5 million tons per year by 2025-2030 from the existing level of 1.6 million.

After the upgrade, the station will organize direct train services to and from China instead of having to transfer at stations in Hanoi.