Davies Turner launches rail service to China

Davies Turner is adding a rail-based LCL cargo service from the UK to China a year after launching LCL and FCL services in the other direction.

Consignments destined for China are consolidated at Davies Turner’s DC in Dartford before being loaded onto a daily trailer service to Hamburg.

In Hamburg, consignments are transferred onto the rail service, which then heads east, passing through Poland, Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan, before arriving in Wuhan, China. Shipments are transported under an Export Accompanied Document (EAD).

Ex-UK transit times to Wuhan range from 26 to 30 days, while customs clearance and delivery throughout mainland China averages 5-7 days, dependent on the final point of delivery.

Davies Turner says that in comparison to ocean freight, a shipment collected from the factory and delivered to the door makes possible a 14-day reduction in transit time.

Furthermore, rail has on average proved to be 50-60 per cent cheaper than air; with larger shipments attracting the biggest savings.