A freight train loaded with 100,000 jin of apples from Luochuan has recently departed from the Huangling East Station freight yard, heading west. The shipment will transfer to road transport at the Xigaze West Station before reaching the Gyirong Port for final customs clearance and delivery to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
This marks the inaugural rail-cold chain freight service for exporting Luochuan apples to Nepal. It was jointly launched by China Railway Xi'an Group and the Luochuan County government in Shaanxi's Yan'an, introducing a new multimodal export model that combines "rail-cold chain" with coordinated rail and road transport.
Luochuan is renowned as the "Home of Chinese Apples," with an annual output exceeding one million tons. Historically, apples destined for Nepal were transported solely by road, covering a distance of approximately 3,800 kilometers.
The long journey, complex high-altitude road conditions, and factors like rain, snow, and vehicle vibration not only increased logistics costs but also led to higher rates of fruit spoilage.
To better support the local economy, China Railway Xi'an Group collaborated with the Luochuan County government. They initiated a pilot project on the Nepal export route, creating a comprehensive cold-chain logistics solution connecting the Loess Plateau and the Tibetan Plateau to the South Asian market.
"Addressing the practical challenges of this high-altitude, long-distance, cross-border shipment, we adopted a 'door-to-door' multimodal transport model involving 'front-end warehousing, rail transport, and port distribution,'" said Yang Shaobo, an engineer at the logistics division of China Railway Xi'an Group.
"The cargo remains in the same container without repacking until it reaches the border port. Relying on rail transport ensures consistent temperature control throughout, offering significant advantages in stability and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional road transport."
Wang Bin, the general manager of a Luochuan apple export company, provided a cost comparison: "This rail-cold chain service has reduced logistics costs by about 2% compared to road transport. Furthermore, the train's constant temperature and smooth operation have effectively minimized cargo damage, fully ensuring the quality of the apples."
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