It has become common knowledge that subsidies for rail freight along the New Silk Road have significantly reduced, pressuring forwarders and operators to chalk out new ways to keep the momentum in the industry going. Recently, at the World of Freight Expo (WOF) held in Bratislava, Ms. Ziwei Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of New Silk Road Network (NSRN), moderated an interesting discussion panel addressing the concerns regarding sustaining the rail freight industry post-subsidies and post-pandemic.
’Resilience’ has been the catchword for the past couple of years. We have been talking about resilient immune systems, resilient healthcare systems, resilient social and economic systems. But one other need for resilience has emerged in the supply chain industry. The supply chain industry faced numerous shocks as the COVID-19 pandemic surged across borders and continents. Sea, air, rail, and road freight were each detrimentally affected in the past couple of years.
Russia had always had a slightly distanced attitude when it came to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. Though both countries have worked on various BRI projects for years, Russia has always seemed to be an absent partner in the initiative. Russia is not a partner of the BRI; however, it has offered its backyard for some of the infrastructure developments that are significant to the New Silk Road.
This month, in another monumental feat, New Silk Road Network‘s partner East-West Intermodal concluded a strategic cooperation agreement with Zhengzhou New Silk Road International Port Investment Co., Ltd. on the development of the railway logistics and trade between Europe and Asia through East-West Gate Terminal (Hungary), which was signed during the ceremony in front of more than 20,000 people who were watching the live broadcast of the conference.
New Silk Road’s member from Turkmenistan IE “Beyik Yupek Yoly” or “Great Silk Road” handled 6 vessels, under the types Volgo Don (5000 TN), Nadjeda (7000 TN) and Omskiy (3000 TN) over the course of one year. Through these vessels, Great Silk Road transported a range of cargo such as furniture, building material, MDF, chipboards, steel rebars and even greenhouse complexes.
A partner of New Silk Road Network East-West Intermodal Logistics Plc. is undertaking a new technology development project in rail logistics at East-West Intermodal Terminal (EWG) which is being built in Fényeslitke, Hungary. As Europe’s largest smart railway logistics terminal, to be completed by the first quarter of 2022, it will be the first terminal on the continent to use a private 5G network for internal communications and the operation of technological devices.