The 20-km (12-mile) Gaolan Port Railway, which started operation in 2014, has been playing a vital role in speeding up the distribution of overseas imported products in the domestic market as it has helped achieved the seamless connection between Gaolan Port and the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Railway. 

The annual cargo throughput of Gaolan Port reached 117 million metric tons in 2021, further cementing Zhuhai's place as an important international port logistic center in South China. 

A train runs on the Gaolan Port Railway [Photo courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

Currently, the annual workload of each worker at the Gaolan Port Railway ranks in the top five in China. The average time for cargo to be unloaded at Gaolan Port and then be transported to Gaolan Port Station of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Railway was only 8.97 hours in September. The new record for operating efficiency has made Zhuhai more influential in China's energy supply and bulk cargo transportation.

Zhuhai Port has now opened 30 sea-rail intermodal train routes, with the cargo categories now varying from dry bulk cargo, such as iron ore and coal, to container cargo like coke, aluminum ingot, resin, rubber wood, soybeans, as well as ethylene glycol.

Its business scope now not only covers all of Guangdong Province, but also reaches Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hunan, Yunnan, and Guizhou provinces. 

A total of 8.75 million tons of cargo was transported on the sea-rail intermodal train routes in 2021, with a year-on-year increase of 26 percent, while the handling capacity of containers surged by 351 percent to 17,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the same time period. 

Construction of the second phase of Gaolan Port Railway Station's multimodal transport freight yard began in September to increase the quality and efficiency of sea-rail intermodal transport. 

An 83,500-sqm (20.6-acre) freight yard for raw building materials will be built by Gaolan Port Railway, aiming for the transfer of cement clinker, powder, sand, and stone.

A staff member of Gaolan Port Railway noted that the company is expected to make up the deficits and record surpluses in 2022, while doubling its railway cargo transport volume in the next five years. The railway will also enhance cooperation with west, middle, and north China to expand Zhuhai Port's influence.