Maersk's first intercontinental train from Europe to Asia leaves St. Petersburg
On March 28, 2020, the first eastbound train on Maersk' AE19 service was dispatched from St. Petersburg port, carrying goods from Europe to Asia. The train, loaded with plywood and chemical products from North Europe, left the FCT port terminal in St. Petersburg to the terminal VSC in the port of Vostochniy.
According to Maersk, the overall transit time of the new intercontinental service from ports in North Europe to ports in Korea and Japan will be of between 23 and 32 days, which is a reduction by half compared to 52-57 days via the traditional ocean route. Upon arrival to Vostochniy, containers will be loaded on Maersk's short-sea vessels for delivery to Korea and Japan.
Maersk launched the AE19 service in August 2019 in partnership with Russian partners Modul and Global Ports to offer a complementary product for more time-sensitive cargoes moving from Asia to Europe, connecting the ports of Vostochniy and St. Petersburg in Russia.
"So far, the service has been used for westbound shipments from Asia to Europe only, however the service has been experiencing a steady growth since the early 2020, and has further enabled shipments from Europe to Asia as well. Customer demand to develop the Eastbound service, especially within the automotive, technology, chemicals and industrial verticals, has further led to the launch of this service", shares Kasper Krogh, Head of Intercontinental Rail at A.P. Moller – Maersk.
The next eastbound shipment from St. Petersburg will be made on April 8, 2020. The service will then be provided on a fortnight basis.
Source: Maerks