The Hai'an railway logistics base has become one of the large and medium-sized railway goods yards in China with the opening of the freight express trains of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong railway. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

The freight express service of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong railway operated more than 40 trains in March, setting a new monthly record – and official data showed cargo handled by the Shanghai Railway Administration's Hai'an railway logistics center topped 400,000 tons in the current year to March 29, hitting a new high.

During the three months, 110 freight trains operated by the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong railway alone delivered 80,000 tons of cargo, providing strong support for Hai'an – a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – to optimize its transportation structure, help companies reduce costs and improve efficiency, as well as enhance energy conservation and the environmental protection of the logistics industry.

The Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong railway, which opened on July 1 last year, has reportedly improved the freight capacity of coastal areas, bringing benefits to freight organizations in Jiangsu's middle and northern regions.

On July 10, the Hai'an railway logistics base launched the first freight train starting from Hai'an and heading for Luchao Port in Shanghai and to Beilun Port in Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province, shortening the full freight time from Hai'an to Luchao Port from nearly 30 hours to six hours.

The export orders of manufacturers are reportedly continuing to soar as domestic foreign trade exports recover rapidly. It is understood that the freight express service is favored by export-oriented businesses due to its strong transportation capacity, favorable costs and punctuality – with estimates that some 800-1,000 yuan ($122.3-$152.9) in freight costs can be saved per container.

Wang Weiguo, a person in charge of the Hai'an railway logistics center, said that the freight express service provides high-quality logistics solutions and transport routes for imports and exports of goods by enterprises in surrounding cities such as Yancheng, Taizhou, Nantong and Yangzhou.

The freight train service of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong railway has now assumed regular operations, as the impact of COVID-19 has receded.

With the help of its trains, the total volume of cargo received and delivered at the Hai'an railway logistics base exceeded 1 million tons in 2020, against the total of 680,000 tons in the previous year.

That performance has reportedly marked the railway logistics center as one of the large and medium-sized railway goods yards in China.