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Dachser has organized the first block train with BASF products to the central Chinese city of Xi'an. BASF entrusted its long-standing logistics service provider Dachser with the complete logistics of the test train with 42 containers, including coordination with the train operator RTSB as well as customs clearance and distribution of the goods in China.

The journey of the complete train from the Ludwigshafen combined transport terminal (KTL) via Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan to China took just 14 days, making it more than two weeks faster than a container ship. Rail transportation via the so-called "New Silk Road" is particularly interesting for companies from the chemical industry that produce far away from the seaports in the Chinese hinterland. The KTL plays an important role in BASF's logistics concept: it acts as a hub where products from Europe are bundled and trains are put together. Germany's largest inland terminal is directly adjacent to BASF's main plant. It offers up to 30 train connections a day to over 20 European economic centers.

In Malaszewicze, Poland, and at the Kazakh-Chinese border, the containers were reloaded onto other trains, as the track gauges of the railroad systems differ. The 40-foot high cube containers were mainly loaded with granulates, fuel additives and catalysts. The train's final destination was the central Chinese city of Xi'an. From there, Dachser North China organized the customs clearance and truck distribution of the BASF goods to the recipients. In the initial phase, further trains from Ludwigshafen are to go to Xi'an in the coming months.

"Faster than sea freight, cheaper than air freight, very easy to plan and reliable: For certain logistical requirements, rail transportation to China via the 'New Silk Road' can become a value-creating alternative to air and sea freight," explains Thomas Krüger, Managing Director Dachser Air & Sea Logistics EMEA. "We are seeing steadily growing demand for DACHSER Rail Services and are particularly pleased that a global market leader like BASF has placed its trust in us."

BASF and Dachser have been working closely together for decades on the transportation and safe storage of palletized chemical products in Europe. In Hungary and Romania, Dachser operates two hazardous materials warehouses for BASF that meet the highest safety criteria and are SQAS-certified. "With the first train to Xi'an, we are taking our logistics partnership with BASF to a new level," comments Michael Kriegel, Department Head Dachser Chem-Logistics. Dachser's industry solution combines standardized logistics services and dangerous goods expertise in a global network with specific solutions for customers in the chemical industry.