A freight train departed from the Chinese metropolis of Chengdu is on its way to the Moroccan port of Tangier, Africa’s largest port. This is the first time for such a service, which uses the railways from China to Spain via Germany and then sea connection to Morocco.
After departing Chengdu, the train will enter Europe via Poland and reach Hamburg, in Germany. From there, the goods will be transported by rail to Barcelona, in Spain, where a ship will take them to Tangier, Moroccan media Medias24 mentioned. According to them, the initiative sees the involvement of logistics company New Silk Road Network and parcel giant DPD.
With this multimodal service, shippers are able to bypass the shipping routes currently hampered by geopolitical tensions. Transit times would be reduced from 35 to 20 days, albeit this option might be more expensive, according to Medias24. Other than increasing the influx of Chinese products in Morocco, the service might also open up the Chinese market to Moroccan industries.