On February 28, CR announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with four shipping companies—Zhonggu Logistics, Trawind Shipping Logistics, Antong Logistics and Shanghai PANASIA Shipping—aiming to jointly offer "one-bill coverage" multi-modal container transport services. This initiative follows the successful results of previous pilot projects and is another step in CR's ongoing effort to deepen the market-oriented reform of railway freight services. It holds significant importance for promoting deeper integration between rail and maritime transport, lowering national logistics costs, and injecting new momentum into the construction of modern logistics systems.
According to the head of CR's Freight Department, they are fully committed to implementing the central government's directives on optimizing transport structure and reducing national logistics costs. The focus is on improving the efficiency and service quality of rail-water multi-modal container transport. Efforts have been made to address bottlenecks that impact logistics efficiency and cost, such as aligning standards for cargo types, container types and packaging between CRCT and shipping companies. Unified standards for multi-modal transport waybills and rail-water transport operations have been designed, and a booking system for maritime shipments has been developed. A data exchange protocol has also been set up, enabling customers to complete the entire rail-water logistics process through a single application on the 95306 platform.
The official pointed out that compared to traditional multi-modal container transport, the "one-bill coverage" transport system offers several advantages, including "one-time booking, one bill from start to finish, one container from start to finish and one settlement." This approach eliminates the need for customers to negotiate and communicate with multiple carriers—rail, maritime and others—on document handover, short-distance transport, cargo transshipment and other processes. Customers can also track their cargo throughout the journey, significantly improving transport efficiency and effectively reducing overall logistics costs. The "one-bill coverage" system was first trialed on November 22, 2024, with CR-Urumqi and Shanghai Zhonggu Logistics Co., Ltd. issuing the first multi-modal "one-bill coverage" waybill through the 95306 platform. The pilot was well received by the market. This latest cooperation agreement with four shipping companies will further expand the scope of the "one-bill coverage" service, allowing customers to choose from a wider range of multi-modal products combining "railway trains + shipping liners" on the 95306 platform.
Looking ahead, the official noted that CR will continue to work closely with shipping companies, leveraging their respective strengths. By keeping market demand at the forefront, they aim to provide more efficient and convenient modern logistics services to customers.