A container train fully loaded with automobile KD parts recently arrived at Rizhao Port in Shandong province from Zhengzhou Putian, marking the commencement of regular daily operations for the "Zhengzhou Putian—Rizhao Port—Qingdao Port" rail-barge intermodal service. This intermodal route provides inland enterprises in Henan and other regions with a new, stable, efficient, and low-cost channel to access sea routes, further leveraging Rizhao Port's role as a hub facilitating convenient maritime access for businesses along the Yellow River basin.

To achieve the daily service frequency target for this route, Rizhao Port has actively coordinated with railway authorities, Qingdao Port, and logistics groups, establishing a clear operational framework focused on the "daily service" objective. A mechanism for "daily scheduling and weekly review" has been implemented. The business development team of the container branch company concentrated on the entire intermodal process, precisely addressing challenges by coordinating with shipping lines to allocate empty container resources in advance, thereby ensuring pre-positioned capacity.

Concurrently, the team has continuously optimized the operational handover procedures for feeder barge services, effectively reducing logistics costs between the two port areas. Furthermore, the team established real-time information sharing channels for vessel schedules, train plans, and cargo tracking, accelerating the interconnection of port and shipping data to enhance dynamic control throughout the transportation chain.

This rail-barge intermodal route adopts a "single-document" service model, integrating resources across the entire chain including railways, ports, and feeder services to provide enterprises with stable and reliable logistics solutions. "The daily service enables 'one-time entrustment and a single document through the entire process.' We only need to sign one intermodal contract and make a single payment, making the entire transportation process worry-free and efficient," stated a logistics manager from a Zhengzhou-based automotive company.

With the normalization of the daily service, enterprises in the Central Plains region are not only benefiting from more convenient port access but are also effectively reducing their comprehensive logistics costs. Looking ahead, the container branch company will leverage the integrated container operation advantages of Shandong Ports to deepen tripartite coordination among "ports, railways, and enterprises," improve the multimodal transport network, and provide solid support for building a regional logistics hub and serving high-level opening-up in areas along the Yellow River basin.