RZD has launched its first direct refrigerated container service from Moscow to Xi’an. The first convoy departed on 21 April, loaded with meat and agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, and is expected to run weekly.

According to Xi’an Free Trade Port, the refrigerated cargo train left the Chekhov railway station in Moscow and will arrive in Xi’an in about 15 days. In addition to RZD logistics and Xi’an Free Trade Port, RBS Logistics (Shanghai), a subsidiary of RZD in China, is also among the reefer service partners.

First reefer to Xi’an

Xi’an Free Trade Port also mentioned that this is the first eastbound refrigerated service since the pandemic. The Chinese government’s pandemic prevention policy had previously banned imports of reefer cargo. This policy expired on January 8 with the relaxation of COVID regulations. Previously, eastbound services from Russia mainly comprised food oil, pulp, wood plates, and other products.

Chekhov railway station

Additionally, this reefer train constitutes the first service between Russia-China using the Chekhov station. As the Xi’an Free Trade Port’s route manager explained, the terminal system in Moscow is rather dispersed, with over 40 different terminals in Moscow and the surrounding areas that could be used to dispatch trains. The Chekhov railway station is, thus, just one of the multiple terminals in the area capable of handling China-bound freight trains.

Consequently, the location will not necessarily remain part of this reefer service. The Xi’an Free Trade Port’s route manager underlined that “the departure station that will be used from now on depends on the departure plan of each month.”

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