Therefore, there may be a role for such long-haul rail links," he said. China already has a regular direct freight train service to Germany, Europe's largest economy. One route links the Chinese megacity of Chongqing to Duisburg, a steel-making town and one of Germany's most-important transportation and commercial hubs. The other route links Beijing, the Chinese capital, to Hamburg, Germany's second-largest city. Roughly 80 percent of global trade is shipped by sea as freight train services face technical and bureaucratic hurdles which vary according to country.

Source: The Star April 29, 2017 04:18 UTC