Volvo delivers cars from China to Europe by rail

THE first rail consignment of Volvo S90 cars built in Daqing, China, arrived at a distribution centre in Zeebrugge on May 31, coinciding with a visit by Chinese premier Mr Li Keqiang to Belgium.

The Swedish manufacturer is the first car maker to export Chinese-made cars to Europe by rail.

The Volvo-dedicated train carried around 120 cars in specially designed 40ft containers. Each container accommodates three vehicles, which are secured at different angles using special fixtures to maximise the payload.

The trains will initially operate weekly, although frequencies are expected to increase as volumes grow.