China has launched its first double-stacked semi-high container rail-sea intermodal train for bulk cargo, improving transport capacity by more than 30% compared with traditional methods.

On August 12, the first train departed from Wanshuiquan South Station in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, bound for Huanghua Port in Hebei. The launch marks China’s first successful integration of double-stack semi-high container railway transport with direct maritime transfer without repacking.

The service uses 1.7-meter semi-high containers stacked in two layers on multi-purpose flat wagons, meeting railway height limits. The containers feature fully open tops for direct coke loading and side doors for inspection and handling, improving bulk cargo loading efficiency by more than 25%.

Compared with traditional bulk cargo transport methods, the semi-high container system increases capacity by over 30% and enables “one-container-through” transportation from factory to vessel. After being loaded and sealed at the production site, coke can be transported by rail to Huanghua Port and directly loaded onto ships after short-distance transfer, reducing more than five intermediate handling procedures.

Industry experts said the new model solves the long-standing problem of cargo transfer between railway and maritime containers, reducing cargo loss and lowering transportation costs by more than 25%. It provides a new solution for bulk cargo rail-sea intermodal transport.