A cargo train carrying automobile parts, electronics and textiles left Chengdu in China on 19 October. Minister for Mobility and Public Works François Bausch was in attendance as the test train left.
After covering 10,000 km, it reached its destination in Bettembourg on schedule on 2 November after 15 days. A first test of this route was done in April in the other direction, from Bettembourg to Chengdu. These first trials were done to evaluate if this direct connection is economically interesting. This means if transport could, in fact, turn out to be considerably cheaper than air freight and faster than transport by ship. “Luxembourg is centrally located in Europe. We can quickly deliver goods from Bettembourg to all over Europe,” said Deputy Prime Minister Francois Bausch who was present in Chengdu when the train departed.
Located at the junction of major North-South and East-West railway and motorway corridors, Luxembourg offers easy and uncongested access to the European consumer market. Rail freight and logistics service provider CFL multimodal offers scheduled combined rail connections to Antwerp, Zeebruge, Ghent, Lyon, Le Boulou, Barcelona, Trieste and other European hubs. This extensive coverage of Europe – which also includes ferry connections to Scandinavia, the UK and Turkey – has now been further extended with a direct link to Asia.