Yiwu’s first dedicated domestic trade freight train has commenced operations, establishing a new logistics model combining import-export and domestic cargo flows.

On September 8, a train carrying processed lithium mineral products departed Yiwu West Railway Station and arrived at Qinzhou East Railway Station in Guangxi.

The service was launched after typhoons and other extreme weather disrupted coastal shipping services, interrupting the transportation of key raw materials and putting production at affected companies at risk.

The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port sea-rail intermodal team developed an emergency logistics solution, consolidating the stranded cargo at Yiwu West and coordinating railway capacity for a direct train to Qinzhou.

After arriving at Qinzhou East, the cargo was transferred to trucks for final delivery, creating a “rail + road” end-to-end transport chain.

The new service demonstrates Ningbo-Zhoushan Port’s efforts to expand its inland “Sixth Port Area” network while providing manufacturers with a more resilient alternative for emergency logistics and domestic transportation.