HAMBURG – Gateway to the New Silk Road
More than 2,000 years ago, goods were already traded between China and Europe via the ancient Silk Road. Today, the Chinese government wants to revive these transport routes. The so-called Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) includes, among other things, the establishment of an extensive economic zone between Asia and Europe. It already covers far more areas than the original network of trading routes.
Initially referred to as “One Belt, One Road”, the initiative comprises of two transport routes – the Silk Road Economic Belt by land and the Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century by sea. Like the ancient Silk Road, it is a network of routes through which goods could be exchanges by road, rail or ship between Asia, Africa and Europe.
Since its announcement in 2013, continental rail services have become an integral pillar for the BRI due to the involvement of China. The network of rail corridors now extends from Europe’s western shores to China’s eastern coast. The Chinese government is constantly pushing ahead with its ambitious plans: In 2014, slightly fewer than 800 trains with a freight volume of 25,000 TEU ran along the New Silk Road between China and Western Europe. 2016 brought an increase to 1,700 trains, with a container volume of 145,000 TEU. According to estimates of the International Union of Railways (UIC), 878,000 TEU were transported on the Eurasian rail corridors in 2020.
HHM / Shutterstock In 2022, about 257 marketed weekly connections were offered between Hamburg and 19 Chinese destinations. The cities Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Harbin, Hefei, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Shilong, Suzhou, Weihai, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xi'an, Yiwu and Zhengzhou were thus linked to Hamburg by regular train services via the New Silk Road. In 2022, around 81,000 TEU were transported by rail between Hamburg and China. The Port of Hamburg handles around 2.5 Mil. TEU in China trade every year. Almost one third of all containers passing through Germany’s largest seaport have China as their destination or origin. Updated 2023 On the tracks in the Port of Hamburg, approximately 200 goods trains and 5,500 wagons are handled rapidly and efficiently every day. There are now more than 160 rail operators using these tracks, with a dense network of wagon load traffic as well as shuttle and block train connections throughout Europe. Every week, there nearly 2,000 connections to and from Hamburg. The rail network is coordinated by the Hamburg Port Railway, a division of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA). It is the link between the cargo terminals in the Port of Hamburg and the European rail network:Connections to China
Intermodal Datenbank
Terminals in the Port of Hamburg for rail cargo to and from China
The New Silk Road closes the gap between seaborne cargo and air freight
Ships, railways, or airplanes – you have to choose among these three means of transport when shipping goods between China and Europe. Costs and time are important factors in this decision. That is why seaborne transport is usually the first choice, since it is the most economical option. However, it can take up to eight weeks for the goods to reach their destination. With only one to two days transport time, choosing air transport is usually the fastest way, but also many times more expensive than maritime transport. The third alternative, transporting goods by rail, thus closes the gap between sea and air transport: Due to the BRI the railway connections between Europe and China have undergone immense improvements and trains only take 12 to 21 days to reach their destinations. The costs also range between those of sea and air freight.
Hamburg-European hub for the New Silk Road
iStock gong hangxu Senator for Economy, Michael WesthagemannNews
Media: Hamburg - Gateway to the new silk road
Hamburg - European Hub for the New Silk Road
Shandong-Europa Express
Shandong-Europa Express
Shandong-Europa Express
Port of Hamburg Marketing on Hamburg and the New Silk Road
Pan Hua, Head of representative office Shanghai
The Port of Hamburg has always been one of the most important trade hubs in Europe for Chinese companies. Around a dozen liner services link Hamburg directly with Chinese ports, while the continental railway connections have been improved constantly in the last years. Hamburg is now one of the leading destinations for trains travelling to Europe via the New Silk Road. The Hamburg Liaison Office China located in Shanghai actively supports this development and is available for inquiries from interested companies and organisations
Axel Mattern,CEO
Hamburg is Europe’s leading railway port. Naturally,its excellent position as a transport hub also contributes to all rail connections with China. 100,0 TEU or more have been transported via the New Silk Road between various destinations in the People's Republic and Hamburg in the last years. We see that there is further potential for growth. Hamburg and its logistics companies are in any case prepared to further intensify cooperation with partners and friends from China.
