en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 12, China's first double-decker semi-height container train for bulk cargo rail-sea intermodal transport departed from Wanshuiquan South Station in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, heading for Huanghua Port in Hebei. For the first time, the train combined double-decker rail transport of semi-height containers with seamless sea-rail transfer, allowing bulk cargo to complete the entire journey in the same container without the need for container swapping or opening during the transition between rail and sea transport.

Compared with standard containers approximately 2.6 meters in height, the semi-height containers used this time are reduced to 1.7 meters, meeting both the requirements for double-decker rail loading and compatibility with existing port and railway handling equipment. After the train arrives at Huanghua Port, the containers can be directly connected to maritime operations, reducing more than five intermediate procedures such as unpacking, reloading, and container swapping, with unit transport costs decreasing by over a quarter.

This inaugural launch combines double-decker rail transport with the "one-container system" of rail-sea intermodal transport, providing a "no container swapping, no opening, one container all the way" transport mode for bulk cargo such as coal and ore. The Ministry of Transport has previously proposed accelerating the promotion of the "one bill of lading" and "one container" systems in multimodal transport, aiming for an average annual growth of around 15% in port container rail-sea intermodal transport volume by 2027.