TBILISI, September 9 – A freight train packed with European goods has set off from Warsaw to Beijing along a new branch of the “New Silk Road,” marking the first time the route has been used in this direction.
Polish logistics operator PKP Cargo Connect said the train left its terminal carrying products from Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Latvia. The company is working with China’s Henan Zhongyu International Port Group. More trains will soon depart from Warsaw with Polish footwear, car parts, and Czech beer.
The journey to China – passing through the South Caucasus including Georgia – takes 11 to 13 days, which is much faster than shipping by sea, though at a higher cost.
The rail route runs via a terminal on the Polish-Belarusian border near Terespol. According to Businessinsider.com.pl, traffic through that terminal dropped after the war in Ukraine began in 2022, although is now seeing a revival. From Poland, the link rail continues via Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan to China.
