FESCO Transportation Group (FESCO) and RZD Logistics JSC have agreed to organize a joint multimodal service for the delivery of containerized cargo from the Asia-Pacific region (APR) to Europe through the Commercial Port of Vladivostok (VMTP, part of FESCO) by the Trans-Siberian railway. The agreement was signed by Alexander Isurin, President of FESCO, and Vyacheslav Valentik, Director General of RZD Logistics JSC, in the framework of the "TransRussia" exhibition.
Using the available experience and competence, the parties plan to develop a technology for the transportation of goods with FESCO's linear services and regular container trains from the APR countries, primarily from Japan and the Republic of Korea, to the European Union through the VMTP, as well as in the opposite direction on a similar route. FESCO is also ready to provide its rolling stock, containers and terminals.
Transit multimodal service from Asia-Pacific countries to Europe through the Far East will significantly reduce the delivery time in comparison with traditional sea routes or a transit through China. Test transportation within the new service is planned at the end of April this year. It is expected that car components, consumer goods and food will be delivered to the countries of Central and Western Europe.
"Japan and the Republic of Korea are Asian largest trading partners for Europe, and we see opportunities for the attraction of freight traffic going today through the Suez Canal to faster routes through the Far East via the Trans-Siberian railway. FESCO has experience in organizing fast multimodal transportation from these countries to Russia. We expect that in partnership with RZD-Logistics we will be able to launch a competitive transit service, which will ultimately contribute to the development of transit transportation through the Russian Federation and will enable us to achieve the strategic goal of 2 million TEU by 2024," Alexander Isurin said.
"A promising multimodal service from Japan and Korea via Vladivostok will offer shippers from these countries one of the most optimal routes to Europe, which will significantly reduce the transit time of delivery. RZD Logistics will be responsible for the railway component of the service. Taking into account our competence in the field of land transit transport, I am confident about the high quality and future demand for our joint product with FESCO," said Vyacheslav Valentyk.