Roundtable on China-Europe freight train held in Madrid

It has been almost two years since the opening of the world's longest railway line connecting Yiwu in southern China and Spain's Madrid.

At a round table event here on Wednesday, a number of experts have put forward suggestions to facilitate the service of the 13,052 km long railway, which opened in November 2014 and spans eight countries between the two cities.

Among those participating were Chen Yuming, an economic official at the Chinese Embassy in Madrid, Charles Powell, the director of the Elcano Institute, Mao Wenjin, the president of the Foundation for Exchange between Yiwu and Spain, as well as representatives of other government and commercial organizations.

Wenjin, whose non-profit organization has its offices in Madrid, explained the event was to give the latest information about the train.

He announced that the journey time between Madrid and Yiwu had been reduced to 17 to 19 days, when it had originally needed over three weeks.

"Yiwu is the new starting off point on the Silk Road between China and Spain," he continued, insisting the train was for two-way traffic and offered a "door to door" service for goods.

Chen explained that so far not enough people in the business community knew of the opportunities offered by the link.

"People still don't know much about the route, they do not know the price and the services it offers. It needs to be publicized," he said, adding the journey time could be further reduced in the future.

Sea transport between Spain and China is cheap, but takes 40 days and while air freight is fast it is expensive, explained Chen; "If I can, I will use the cheapest option and the train offers that advantage," he commented.

However, he also highlighted some problems which still needed to be overcome, explaining the train had to change rail width three times on its journey and he said the line should be standardized, as it would be both "cheaper and faster."

The train has developed over the short time it has been operating, offering stops in Germany and Poland allowing for more flexibility than sea or air transport, while Yiwu has established a "green" customs line for products transported on the rail link to give priority treatment for these goods.

The Chinese representatives at the event proposed the creation of a "Green Channel" along the route to end the problems caused by the different customs requirements of the countries the train passes through.

These requirements mean that it is still not possible to transport some Spanish agricultural products, such as fruit, milk and meat, although others such as powered milk, dried fruit, wine and olive oil can be transported with no customs problems.

Products such as film for solar cells, washing machine parts, kitchen equipment and other industrial goods have also made the journey from west to east along with high-quality leatherwear, agricultural machinery and even spare parts for automobiles.

Chen commented that time and temperature (especially the cold in Russia) could affect the transport of some agricultural products, so "we have to look for more industrial products and look at high-value products."

This change has already been reflected in the goods brought from Yiwu to Madrid with a shift from cheaper goods for daily use towards telecommunications equipment, motors and electrical tools, so now it is up to Spain to take up the gauntlet.

"There is a need for connectivity and infrastructure in the world, China has experience in this and we want to work together with countries on both sides of the Silk Road and to give benefits for all," concluded Chen. Endit