Japan Cargo Reaches Germany Faster via Sea-Rail Combined Transport

Published April 14, 2019 · Sino-Euro Railway · Updated October 8, 2026

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Japanese exporters can reach Germany faster by combining ocean and rail freight: cargo from Yokohama moves by sea to Xiamen, where it boards a China-Europe block train bound for Duisburg, Germany. The sea-rail combined routing shortens total transport time compared with an all-ocean journey.

A train loaded with goods from Yokohama, Japan, departed from Xiamen to Duisburg under this model. According to the operator, including Japan in the rail services has drawn wide attention from global clients, and further efforts will be made to enhance the service and bolster trade among Belt and Road countries.

Xiamen has launched China-Europe block train services to Germany, Poland, Hungary and other European countries. Since the service began in August 2015, the routes have become some of the busiest cross-border rail links in China: official data show 387 trips had been made by March 31, 2019, transporting 236,100 tons of goods, and 27 freight trains left Xiamen for Europe in the first quarter of 2019 alone.