On 8 February a special train arrived at the Polish border crossing of Malaszewicze. Launched by Maersk, it originated from Yiwu (China), to carry essential medical equipment to Poland. Τhe 41-container train left China on 23 January and took sixteen days to reach its final destination. The service accrued to supply valuable medical resources to Zarys International Group. DB Cargo was responsible for the operation of the line. 

The service resulted from the pressuring situation caused by the pandemic. With consecutive waves of the Covid-19 virus hitting Europe, demand for medical equipment is higher than ever. At the same time, it is quite challenging to arrange emergency shipments due to decreased capacities. However, in this case, “determination and commitment to the goal by both sides made it possible”, said Pawel Ciesek, Import Department Coordinator at Zarys.

Flexibility

“Making specific and urgent transportation arrangements is one of the characteristics that Maersk is proud of”, said Justyna Barycza, Customer Experience Manager and Poland Country Representative at Maersk. The excellent cooperation between the China and Europe teams made such a project feasible and possible to deliver on time, she added.

After all, this is a tradition that the company builds on. During 2020, the most unprecedented year in terms of transportation, Maersk organised 209 customised intercontinental trains from China to countries like Germany, France, Sweden, and Russia. Agility is well appreciated in these days. Thus, the rail freight sector has the chance to set it as an example and make it its most potent argument for the modal shift, using resilience and efficiency of operations during 2020 as a background.

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