The United Transport and Logistics Company – Eurasian Rail Alliance (UTLC ERA) has operated its 2,500th train of this year on the corridor between China and Europe. On 25 October, the train departed from Xian in China, on the way to Malaszewicze in Poland.

The freight train carried 41 forty-foot containers loaded with Volvo Crossover cars, traveling through Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus before entering the European continent. It was transshipped to broad gauge in Dostyk on 29th October, from where it embarked on its six-day journey to Brest, on the border between Belarus and Poland.

Growth indicators

According to Alexey Grom, the president of UTLC ERA, the 1000th and 2000th trains have become key indicators characterising the growth rate of transportation load and its geography. In 2017, a total of 2,102 trains were transported. In 2018, the 1000th train was counted on 23 June, while in 2017 and 2016, the mark of the 1000th train was reached in August in Brest and in December in Dostyk, respectively.

In the first 9 months of 2018, the total volume of freight traffic handled by UTLC ERA reached a record high of 186,000 TEUs. In September 2018, the operator transported 28,853 TEUs, while in September 2017, this figure was 16.400 TEUs. In September 2018, 26.900 TEUs were sent along the base corridor Dostyk – Brest, which is the base route of the operator.