Part Four of Our Series on Cost Reduction, Quality Improvement, and Efficiency Gains: End-to-End Order Management, Breaking Down Information Silos

11 month 22 Day, carrying 3000 of tons of aluminum rods X9622 The train arrived at Tianjin Port from the Jundong Station in Xinjiang and was loaded onto the vessel “Yujiang Xiangrui” bound for Dongguan Port in Guangdong. The cargo was jointly handled by China Railway Urumqi Bureau Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Railway Group, and Shanghai Zhonggu Logistics Co., Ltd., with both parties collaborating on railway… 95306 The platform jointly issued the nation’s first multimodal transport bill of lading under a single‑document system for containers.

This marks the beginning of multimodal transport in China. The “single‑document” system has achieved a historic breakthrough, enabling end‑to‑end transport under a single contract—“one entrustment, one document, one container, one settlement.” According to estimates, for every percentage point increase in the share of multimodal transport in China’s total freight volume, 1 percentage points, which can reduce total logistics costs by approximately 0.9 percentage points, and the resulting reduction in social logistics costs could reach hundreds of billions of yuan.

Bridging mountains and seas, energy efficiency in both directions.

Under the dual-circulation framework, container sea–rail intermodal transport has become a vital link and bridge connecting domestic and international circular economies. As globalization and economic integration continue to deepen, demand for container sea–rail intermodal transport is growing, enabling rapid and convenient transshipment of goods between China and abroad, enhancing logistics efficiency, and fostering optimal resource allocation and sustainable economic development.

(Image source: Chongqing Logistics Group official website)

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port boasts the inherent advantages of a deep-water, well‑equipped port and a major container trunk‑line hub. By promoting seamless information connectivity across multimodal transport modes, it is exploring innovative approaches to multimodal logistics. Under the “Single‑Document System,” we have launched an end-to‑end transport service offering “one‑time consignment, single‑quote pricing, a single document throughout, and settlement on a single bill of lading,” while maintaining regular operations on intermodal rail‑sea routes connecting Chongqing, Nanchang, Shangrao, Jinyi, and other regions to Ningbo–Zhoushan Port.

Jiang Dongwei, Deputy Director of the Business Department at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Co., Ltd., stated in an interview with a reporter from Modern Logistics News: “According to estimates, the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port’s sea-rail intermodal ‘single‑document’ service can reduce customers’ out‑of‑region booking costs by approximately… per year.” 3200 Ten thousand yuan, which can reduce the total freight cost. 30%。”

Transportation management is pivotal to the smooth operation of container intermodal sea–rail transport, with further refinement of logistics node and route planning, as well as enhanced transportation management and the application of information technologies, serving as critical components. To address this bottleneck and enable end-to-end logistics monitoring, Ningbo–Zhoushan Port has integrated with China Railway Group, obtaining real-time data on the in-transit status of container trains at key nodes to achieve seamless information connectivity across sea–rail operations. Additionally, a collaborative management information system for sea–rail intermodal transport has been established, consolidating logistics data from upstream and downstream stakeholders and providing customers with online services such as rail booking, end-to-end logistics tracking, and intelligent query capabilities, thereby reducing communication costs and improving the operational efficiency of sea–rail intermodal services.

“Sea-rail intermodal transport” CCA “This model has been widely adopted at domestic ports, effectively driving innovation in intermodal rail‑sea transport systems, information‑technology infrastructure, and empty‑container management. However, during implementation, the issue of insufficient information openness has become increasingly apparent: the business systems of upstream and downstream enterprises—railways, ports, and shipping lines—remain inadequately integrated, and seamless real‑time data sharing along the supply chain continues to be lacking,” said Jiang Dongwei.

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has pioneered an end-to-end bill of lading for sea-rail intermodal transport, extending its sea-rail routes deep into inland hinterlands and continuously expanding the scope of such intermodal services. The essence of the “single‑document” system lies in the issuance of a through bill of lading by the shipping company, which extends the place of receipt from coastal ports to inland cities, thereby extending the functionality of the ocean bill of lading and helping inland enterprises reduce costs associated with off‑site booking and container usage by approximately… 2500 Ten thousand yuan.

To enhance operational efficiency, the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan has launched regular double-stack container rail‑sea intermodal services in Shaoxing, and to date has completed a cumulative number of such double-stack container shipments. 353 trip, with a transport volume of 4892 Standard containers. Meanwhile, the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan is accelerating construction of the double-deck high‑cube container transport test line on the Yongjin Railway and has launched a double-deck high‑cube intermodal sea–rail service between Suxi in Yiwu and the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, with an anticipated annual throughput exceeding… 100 Ten million TEUs, with increased rail freight volumes achieved through innovative transport‑organization models. 40% , reduce transportation costs 30%。

A steel caravan spanning Eurasia, connecting thousands of miles.

11 month 15 Day, as X8083 The China–Europe Railway Express slowly departed from Chongqing Tuantuan Village Central Station, bound for Duisburg, Germany—the [number]th China–Europe Railway Express. 10 Ten thousand train services were launched, setting a new record.

2023 Throughout the year, the China-Europe Railway Express (Chengdu–Chongqing) operated more than 5300 Column, the number of transport containers exceeds 43 Ten million TEUs—both figures rank first nationwide. As a flagship project and iconic brand of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chongqing shoulders the critical mission of pioneering innovation in the operation of China–Europe Railway Express services.

As the needs of shippers deepen, China–Europe Railway Express services are gradually shifting from mere cargo transportation to more sophisticated logistics and supply-chain solutions. However, uneven progress in multimodal transport digitalization, mismatched logistics infrastructure across countries, inconsistent container‑transportation regulations, and a lack of uniformity in information‑technology standards all constrain the convenience and smoothness of container‑based intermodal transfers.

In 11 month 28 At the State Council’s regular policy briefing held on [date], Meng Xiaoyu, an official from the Transportation Services Department of the Ministry of Transport, stated: “Going forward, we will promote the development of a unified document and a unified container system for multimodal transport, and address bottlenecks and chokepoints in transshipment, loading and unloading, as well as information sharing.”

Chongqing Logistics Group Co., Ltd. Innovates Multimodal Transport for the China–Europe Railway Express The “single‑document” transport bill of lading—the Chongqing–Xinjiang–Europe railway bill of lading—has pioneered a financing model anchored in railway bills of lading, enriched and refined international rules for multimodal rail logistics and trade, and successfully established the “steel caravan” as a cornerstone of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Leveraging a digitized bill of lading platform, Chongqing Logistics Group has developed an intermodal electronic bill of lading that integrates transport information across the entire logistics chain—rail, road, and sea—and utilizes blockchain technology to record cargo‑transport data on the chain, thereby enabling online circulation. This solution addresses key challenges such as verifying authenticity and preventing tampering, fills the gap in railway‑based intermodal bills of lading, and provides customers with… An integrated logistics solution featuring “one entrustment, one settlement, and end-to-end single‑document processing.” Leveraging the advantages of multimodal electronic bills of lading—such as end-to-end visibility, controllability, and traceability—it enables full‑process monitoring of cargo transportation, establishing a closed-loop chain that spans “delivery–transportation–customs supervision–collection.”

( Image source: Official website of Zhoushan Port Services Co., Ltd., Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. )

Jin Jingdong, Deputy Director and Chief Engineer of the Planning Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, stated in “Addressing Weaknesses and Strengthening the Network”… Adjust the structure and promote reform The article “Adopting Multiple Measures to Reduce Costs, Improve Quality, and Enhance Efficiency in Transportation and Logistics” states that, “At present, China’s multimodal transport systems—particularly the “single‑document” and “single‑container” models—still face numerous challenges, including a lack of data sharing, inconsistent standards and regulations, redundant documentation across different stages of the supply chain, and mismatches in transport equipment.”

To address this issue, Chongqing Logistics Group has strengthened the property‑rights‑certifying function of multimodal transport e‑bills of lading, offering customers collateral‑free, guarantee‑free financing for imported goods based on intermodal bills of lading. This has enabled blockchain technology to enhance the property‑rights attributes of documents, provide real‑time end‑to‑end information traceability, and ensure transparency in document data. “Three major breakthroughs.” To date, a total of over railway bills of lading have been issued. 7000 portion, facilitating financing services 87 Pen, funding amount 1.8 In the amount of hundreds of millions of yuan, this has effectively eased the financial pressures faced by small and medium-sized import and export enterprises.

The Intelligent Connectivity of All Things Network Platform Empowers Development

“Through the Zhongchu Zhiyun platform’s smart multimodal transport system, we have saved over… 15% “Shipping costs!” said the head of a cable company. Under this system’s meticulous coordination, raw materials for cable production first arrive at Jiangyin Port by truck, are loaded onto ships, and then proceed downstream to Shanghai Port. From there, they are transferred to ocean-going vessels bound for Yingkou Port, before finally being delivered to the cable factory via a truck‑to‑truck relay, thus achieving door-to-door logistics.

In recent years, with the growth of the multimodal transport market, multimodal transport—supported by sea–rail intermodal services, China–Europe Railway Express, and rail–water intermodal transport—has gained momentum. The “single‑document” approach is gaining traction across regions. As industry demand grows increasingly urgent, research on multimodal transport under the “single‑document” framework has also begun to take shape. Through practical exploration, online freight platforms have established the foundational conditions for advancing this approach, with standardized electronic waybills serving as a natural advantage for integrating multimodal transport information. By leveraging these platforms to connect resource data from railways, ports, air cargo, and waterways, they facilitate deep integration among road, water, rail, and air transport, enabling seamless intermodal coordination and unified operations, thereby optimizing transport planning and enhancing logistics efficiency.

Shen Anfeng, President of Zhongchu Zhiyun, stated: “In my view, the multimodal ‘single‑document’ system can be optimized in the following areas: first, by further advancing data interconnectivity; second, by refining the application of transport documents; and third, by strengthening the safety‑assurance service framework for the ‘single‑document’ system.”

While leveraging digital innovation to connect shippers and carriers, online freight platforms have also become deeply integrated into the development of the manufacturing sector, striving to foster deep convergence between supply chains and industrial chains. They effectively link enterprises across logistics and transportation, finance and insurance, commerce and manufacturing, pioneering innovative models for the integrated development of industrial and supply chains, thereby serving the real economy and empowering real‑world businesses.

In particular, we have continuously strengthened the security‑system framework and platform standardization, establishing an efficient, secure, and reliable service ecosystem. By leveraging the multiplier effect of data as a key production factor, we have enhanced our capacity for integrated resource allocation. Relying on standardized platform development, we have also established a credit‑evaluation system, extending our online freight services to encompass supply‑chain finance.

Shen Anfeng said, “At present, Zhongchu Zhiyun has leveraged its credit rating system to develop a range of diversified value-added services. Among these, financial ecosystem products such as prepaid freight, margin waivers, and ‘ShuXinTong’ are widely deployed across various business scenarios, supporting the digital transformation of logistics and supply chains in China’s key industries while driving end-to-end cost reduction and efficiency gains, thereby jointly advancing industrial upgrading.”