DHL Global Forwarding is to start a new weekly ‘block train’ service from Suzhou to its hub in Poland.

The new service, which expands DHL’s multi-modal rail service, gives an average travel time of two weeks to Warsaw from Suzhou — half the ocean freight time and a sixth of the cost of air-freight.

DHL currently offers a daily wagon service from Shanghai to Europe along the North Corridor, as well as a weekly block train service from Chengdu to Europe along the West Corridor rail line via Kazakhstan. DHL has also introduced the option to transport less than a container load to help multi-national companies and small businesses manage their inventory flows.

The company also plans to start ferry services from Japan and Korea to link with China’s rail system and develop a north Asian multi-modal network.