The Taishan Inland Port-Qingdao Port Evergreen Line is recently launched in Tai'an, Shandong province. The train, which can carry up to 70 TEUs, will arrive in Qingdao in 6 hours and its goods will be exported to Thailand. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shandong Port Group (SPG) handled a total of 1.54 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) via sea-rail intermodal transportation in the first three quarters of this year, an increase of 17.2 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the group on Oct 23.

This is more than last year's total amount and puts it at first place among coastal ports in China. The port is providing strong logistics support for domestic circulation and dual circulations.

How is SPG capable of achieving such remarkable performance in sea-rail combined transport when global ports and the global shipping industry are experiencing significant difficulties due to the COVID-19 epidemic?

Four port groups in Shandong, namely Qingdao Port Group, Yantai Port Group, Rizhao Port Group, and Bohai Bay Port Group, have made several breakthroughs in integration reforms, allowing them to deliver strong performance. Among these achievements, the development of sea-rail intermodal transportation is especially important.

During the first three quarters of this year, SPG handled 1.07 billion tons of cargo,  an increase of 7.96 percent year-on-year, and 22.96 million TEUs, 4.5 percent more than last year. 

During this same period, Qingdao Port handled 16.80 million TEUs, up 3.4 percent from a year ago, giving it the highest growth rate among China's top five coastal ports. Its foreign trade container throughput recorded a year-on-year growth of 4.8 percent, putting it at first place in terms of foreign trade growth among the top eight national ports.

The container throughput of Rizhao Port, Yantai Port, and Bohai Bay Port also saw increased growth, indicating that SPG's integration reforms have benefited each port group and strengthened sea-rail intermodal transportation.

SPG, located at the intersection of the land and maritime silk roads, has used land-sea intermodal transportation as a way to integrate into "internal circulation" and "dual circulation". From January to September, SPG launched four sea-rail intermodal train routes, bringing its total number to 68. A total of three inland ports were opened as well, bringing the total number to 18.

As ports and railways become more interconnected, a logistics thoroughfare for sea-rail combined transport that covers Shandong and the Yellow River basin and directly links with Central Asia, South Asia, and Europe is quickly forming, connecting China with the outside world and reshaping the industrial layout across regions.