International intermodal train service to transport goods from Song Than Station to China launched

	Binh Duong province arranges train carrying exports to China
	Binh Duong transports 400 tonnes of farm produce to China by railway daily
	Binh Duong Customs helps businesses restore and develop

Delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the international intermodal train transporting export goods from Song Than Station to China. Photo: T.D

This is a breakthrough in the plan for development and promotion of railway cargo transport.

According to the shipping schedule, on September 27, the export shipment of 500 tons cassava starch used for food and packed in 19 40ft containers was transported to Song Than Station and then shipped to Yen Vien Station (Hanoi). The shipment has been transshipped to 1,400 mm gauge train to transport to Dong Dang Station (Lang Son) and then exported to China. The shipment is expected to arrive in Pho Dien, Zhengzhou (Henan province, China) on October 5.

At the launching ceremony, Director of Binh Duong Customs Department said that Binh Duong is one of the most developed provinces in the Southern region and the whole country with the establishment and development of 35 industrial parks and 12 industrial clusters, especially FDI enterprises. The province has attracted many businesses to invest and operate to export goods to the American, European and Asian markets. The total import-export turnover of businesses in Binh Duong province has increased to 3rd place across the country. The import and export from China market accounts for 40%, and the cargo is mainly transported by sea and apart by road.

Director of Binh Duong Customs Department Nguyen Tran Hieu speaks at the launching ceremony

Binh Duong has invested modern traffic infrastructure, connecting sea, road, air and rail ways. In the province, Song Than international intermodal station (in Di An city) is the largest cargo station in the South, which is the great traffic advantage of the province. However, Song Than Station has only served domestic freight transport and has not operated international intermodal, so it has not yet promoted the potential for transporting exports and imports.

To respond to this matter, Binh Duong Customs Department advised the People's Committee of Binh Duong Province to upgrade and transport cargo by rail way. In the future, Song Than international intermodal station will become a large-scale logistics center of the southern region, providing new and more effective method of transporting imports and exports, saving cost and easily accessing to China's industrial centers for production of goods and auxiliary materials, etc.

Mr. Dang Sy Manh, Chairman of the Board of Members of Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR), said that rail transport and international intermodal transport activities between Vietnam and China has achieved positive results. The international intermodal transport by rail has become the top choice for businesses of the two countries in trade. Thanks to that, transport output has grown over the years.

The train carrying the first shipment exported from Binh Duong to China.

At the end of 2022, the Vietnamese Government approved the plan on improving international intermodal transport capacity by rail, aiming to achieve strong growth 3-4 times of volume of goods transported by rail in the following years. This is an important premise for VNR to realize the goal of bringing the railway border gate to operate in the inland and exploit the advantages of railway transport to serve import and export activities of businesses nationwide, including Song Than Station, Binh Duong province.

Mr. Le Manh Ha, CEO of TBS Logistics Company said that the operation of an international intermodal train transporting export goods from Song Than Station to China bring good news for exporters and export service providers. Because in previous time, enterprises had to transport goods by road to Yen Vien Station or Dong Dang Station, then open customs declaration at Binh Duong Customs Department and Song Than Station to export goods to China. This greatly shortens time and costs for businesses.