The first chartered train, launched to guarantee supplies to Shanghai, departs from Hai'an on April 9. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

The county-level city of Hai'an – administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – has chartered a train to guarantee supplies to Shanghai in East China.

The first Hai'an-Shanghai chartered train, loaded with over 1,000 metric tons of daily necessities and medical supplies – including rice, flour, eggs and protective clothing – departed the Hai'an railway logistics base on April 9 and headed to Shanghai Minhang Station, to support the metropolis.

Hai'an and Shanghai, close in geographical location, are connected by railways and waterways, according to Yu Lizhong, Party secretary of Hai'an. Yu added that Shanghai was currently at a critical stage in its epidemic prevention and control and they must do their level best to guarantee supplies to that metropolis.

On receiving the call, Hai'an municipal departments – as well as industry associations, and concerned and compassionate businesses – are said to have undertaken immediate action and overcome any problems and difficulties to ensure that the chartered train operated smoothly.

A large consignment of daily necessities is stored at the Hai'an railway logistics center, ready to be shipped at short notice to Shanghai. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

One company that lent a helping hand was Tiancheng Group – involved in feed processing, poultry breeding and egg production in Hai'an. On April 7, it received an order to provide 2.2 million eggs for the Hongkou district government of Shanghai.

In order to complete the task as scheduled, the group organized its staff to work extra hours. "Four railway wagons of this chartered train were full of our eggs, which will be shipped to Hongkou district on arrival at Minhang Station," said Chen Min, president of Tiancheng group.

Hai'an railway logistics base's general manager Wang Weiguo said the facility – a major platform of Hai'an's transport hub – took only two days to complete such work as collecting the goods, allocating the containers and arranging transport after the cargo's arrival.

This had ensured the chartered train operated right on schedule, Wang added.