The first successful trial shipment by Gefco of BMWs from Germany to China via rail was successfully completed last month.
On November 16th, a train loaded with 40 BMW Model Series 1 vehicles arrived in Chongqing.
The vehicles were picked up by Gefco from BMW’s factory in Regensburg, Germany, loaded on to a train in Duisburg, and then travelled for 16 days along the Eurasia corridor via the YuXinOu rail link to southwest China.
Gefco will manage unloading, customs clearance, and CIQ (China inspection and quarantine), as well as distribution to BMW’s hub in Chengdu.
Gefco managed to increase the loading factor of the rail wagons to four cars in one container, saving 50% in terms of cost, compared with the conventional pallet loading solution.
Al Cardona, head of finished vehicle logistics and customs, BMW China said, “We have been studying the rail solution together with Gefco. With this successful trial operation, which is thanks to Gefco’s professionalism and their proactive attitudes of continuous improvement, I am confident that this solution could be a very interesting alternative for our import flows.”
Laurent Sik, managing director, Gefco China added, “Gefco has been endeavoring to work on innovative solutions, aiming at supporting our customer’s business expansion with the best cost, optimising operations, and offering high quality services.”
