Piraeus Port, the largest port in Greece, serves as the southern gateway to Europe and a transportation hub connecting countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.
The China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line, utilizing Piraeus as a key node, establishes an efficient transport path between Asia and Europe, forming a "third trade corridor" that facilitates trade between China and Central and Eastern Europe.
Enhancing Logistics Efficiency Through Multimodal Transport
“There are two main trade routes from East Asia to Europe: one via maritime shipping and the other through the China-Europe freight trains,” said Su Xudong, president of COSCO Shipping Group Piraeus Port Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited. Now, a new logistics channel -- the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line -- has emerged. This route can reduce transit times by 7 to 10 days compared to traditional routes, significantly enhancing transport efficiency.
Su detailed a specific example: containers can be shipped from a river port in Changsha, transported via the Yangtze River to Shanghai, then shipped to Piraeus. After unloading at Piraeus, they are transported by rail to Prague.
The traditional route from Shanghai involved passing through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Atlantic, and to ports like Dunkirk in France, Antwerp in Belgium, and Rotterdam in the Netherlands before reaching Hamburg in Germany, and then being transported to Prague.
"The new multimodal transport model of the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line addresses issues of long delivery times, frequent transshipments, and unstable transport efficiency," Su said.
After years of development, the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line has opened four channels, and runs more than 10 routes from Piraeus to nine inland European stations, with more than 30 trains operating weekly. It serves 71 million people across countries and regions such as Greece, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Spain. This comprehensive logistics line from East Asia to Europe via the Mediterranean and the Balkans facilitates export and import business between China and Europe, effectively improving logistics in the countries along its route.
Comprehensive Multimodal Services
The China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line has become the third major trade corridor between China and Europe. In 2022, it transported over 180,000 TEUs and operated more than 2,600 train trips.
In 2008, China and Greece reached a strategic agreement for COSCO Shipping Group to take over the concession rights of Piraeus Port's container terminals 2 and 3. By 2014, China, Serbia, Hungary, and Macedonia had agreed to jointly develop the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line. In 2017, COSCO Shipping fully launched the transport service of the line.
“Since its launch in 2014, Hewlett-Packard (HP) has been a strategic partner on this trade route. Initially, HP approached COSCO Shipping to design an efficient transport route linking its printer parts manufacturer in Wuhan city, China, with its assembly plant in Pardubice, Czech Republic. COSCO Shipping, taking Piraeus as a transshipment hub, created a new sea-rail multimodal transport route through China, Greece, and Central Europe, achieving remarkable results,” said Su.
The China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line officially began operation in 2014, and has since expanded and diversified, offering “door-to-door” and “point-to-point” comprehensive logistics services to global customers, Su added.
Bringing Vitality to Local Development
Piraeus Port handles over 5 million TEUs annually, ranking among the top 30 global container ports and the fourth largest such port in Europe.
“After COSCO Shipping took over the terminals, many Greek employees were employed, and it was promised that Piraeus Port would always belong to the Greeks, with job opportunities remaining for local residents. This decision eased many employees' concerns,” said Tassos Vamvakidis, a commercial manager of COSCO Shipping Group’s Piraeus Container Terminal S.A (PCT), who has worked in maritime transport for over 50 years.
COSCO Shipping’s solid operations have driven Piraeus Port’s continuous performance improvements, bringing growth to local residents and participating Belt and Road countries.
Today, the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line transports products such as electronics, timber, and auto parts. At the car terminal, new cars from various regions, including many Chinese electric vehicle brands like BYD and Chery, are neatly lined up.
“The line is not just a major logistics route between China and Europe, it is a robust artery for trade and a strong network for people-to-people exchanges,” said Su.
(Executive editor: Zhu Zeya)
