JSC United Transport and Logistics Company – Eurasian Rail Alliance (UTLC ERA) has signed cooperation agreements with two European partners while taking part in the TransRussia 2019 international transport and logistics services and technologies expo on April 16.

UTLC ERA and the Slovak public railway company ZSSK Cargo have agreed to facilitate information and technological collaboration in organizing container cargo shipments by rail on China – Slovakia – China routes. The Parties have agreed upon establishing transportation and logistics services through the implementation of transit technologies for Eurasian container shipments.

Alexey Grom, UTLC ERA President, and Martin Vozar, Chairman of BoD ZSSK Cargo, have signed a road map providing for an implementation plan that would include the exchange of information on the current cargo flow between Slovakia and China with route scheduling, prospective amounts of cargo export from Slovakia and neighboring countries to China and the competitive environment of railway container traffic in the region. The companies also intend to conduct a detailed analysis of their potential customer base and its needs. 

The signed agreement is another step forward in the continued business dialogue between UTLC ERA and ZSSK Cargo regarding the development of transit container traffic which was started earlier this year. The Parties had signed a Memorandum on Cooperation calling for the expansion of services and traffic volume increase on Europe – China – Europe routes back in March, 2019, while participating in the International Railway Congress in Vienna. 

UTLC ERA and Lithuanian Railways, JSC (Lietuvos geležinkeliai) have agreed to arrange postal container traffic from China to Lithuania. Alexey Grom, President of UTLC ERA, and Mantas Bartuska, General Manager of Lithuanian Railways, have signed an agreement facilitating such cooperation. 

In line with this agreement the partners intend to jointly develop the shipment of postal packages (deliveries and e-commerce goods) by cargo trains on China – Europe – China routes on a regular basis. UTLC ERA will provide containers loaded with postal items at the platforms of Dostyk and Altynkol stations operated by Kazakhstan Railways. In their turn, Lithuanian Railways will be responsible for handling container trains at the Kena border railway station near Belarus, subsequently delivering postal packages to Vaidotai railway station in Vilnius intermodal terminal, wherefrom the cargo will be distributed to the warehouses of the Lithuanian public post, Lietuvos pastas. 

“I am perfectly confident that the agreements signed with our partners will contribute to the active growth of the transit transportation market, thus enabling UTLC ERA to strengthen its leading positions in cargo shipments on Europe – China – Europe routes. 

This is the first time that we have fixed in writing the intention to build a direct transit transportation technology process: UTLC ERA will be solely responsible for its part of the 1520 gauge, whereas ZSSK Cargo will be in charge of the 1435 gauge. That is how we will be able to offer our customers the end product – a comprehensive shipping service solution. 

In collaboration with Lithuanian Railways we are ready to offer a service that is high in demand – the railway transportation of postal packages with maximum cargo safety,” – said UTLC ERA president Alexey Grom speaking after the agreement signing ceremony.

source: UTLC