THE first full-length container train organised by Nurminen Logistics, Finland, departed on May 10 from Chongqing, China to Central Europe. The train is routed from China via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and across the Black Sea to Romania.

Nurminen Logistics says it planned the new route from scratch in two months together with Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ). The Trans-Caspian route, which combines rail and sea transport, is approximately three times faster than sea freight.

“Opening the route required strong confidence from China Railways in our operations and, above all, our customers’ trust in us,” says Mr Olli Pohjanvirta, CEO of Nurminen Logistics. “In addition, Nurminen’s international railway team also showed excellent expertise and implementation in a difficult and fast-paced situation.”

Nurminen Logistics says there is strong demand for the new route. The first train is full and the next train, which departs on May 25, is almost sold out. Weekly departures are scheduled to begin in June.

Nurminen currently provides a door-to-door rail service between Asia and Nordic countries and container train services between Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The new route will expand the company’s customer base in Central Europe and enable further development of the company’s multimodal transport services.