Due to strong market demands, shipping line Unifeeder is adding Kaliningrad to its feeder and shortsea network. Starting 8 December, a new, weekly service will call both terminals in Kaliningrad, Sea Commercial Port and Baltiysk, as well as all major terminals in Hamburg.

The shipping line is relevant for rail freight players on the New Silk Road, as the multimodal route via Kaliningrad provides interesting alternatives to the conventional land route via Poland. Trains to and from China arrive in the Russian enclave via Lithuania and Belarus. The territory allows for overland transit to Poland, but also for seaport departures to Western European ports.

Multimodality

Unifeeder currently operates more than 46 sea routes to various European locations. “Part of Unifeeder’s strategy is to provide a price-competitive, multimodal alternative for our customers, as well as, ensure a steady flow for their cargo from East to West and vice versa”, the company noted.

“Multimodal i.e. transportation via sea, road and rail is much more cost effective than transport by trailer and can be closely coordinated with our customers to secure just-in-time loading and delivery. By choosing the multimodal solution shippers can make a valuable contribution to less CO2 emissions as well as less congestion on European roads.

New Silk Road

Last week a new multimodal connection was launched between XI’an in Central China and Hamburg via Kaliningrad. The cargo from China arrived on the German island of Rügen, docking at the Baltic Sea port of Mukran. It had just crossed the Baltic sea by ferry, originating from the port of Baltysk in the Kaliningrad region of Russia. From Mukran, it continued its journey by rail to Hamburg.

The new service marked a milestone in that it was the first of its kind to be en route with a single CIM/SMGS waybill, even though it was a multimodal journey. With the CIM/SMGS consignment note the legal systems of all countries involved are standardised, resulting in less interruption of movement, entailing delays, additional costs and administrative burdens.

European Silk Road Summit

Do you want to know more about the New Silk Road and its latest developments? On 26 and 27 November the European Silk Road Summit takes place in Venlo, the Netherlands. At this two-day international event more than 35 speakers and around 250 delegates will share their experiences, expertise and latest news. Registration for the event is still open. The programme and speakers can be found on the website.