Huaihua Launches Cold Chain Rail Hub for Southeast Asian Fruit Imports

On Jan. 1, the first direct cold chain freight train carrying fruit from the Laotian capital of Vientiane arrived at the Huaihua International Land Port in China’s Hunan province. This marked the launch of a specialized cold chain operation model in Huaihua, along with a significant upgrade to its cargo consolidation and distribution capabilities.

Tianhuilong (Hunan) International Trade Company dispatched the first train on Dec. 29, 2024. Its cargo of fresh fruit, including bananas, was first transported by road to Vientiane before being shipped via the China–Laos railway to Huaihua. The shipment consisted of eight refrigerated containers, weighing a total of 169.8 metric tons and valued at over 1.13 million Chinese yuan ($154,500).

A second shipment arrived at Huaihua International Land Port on Jan. 4, comprising approximately 950 metric tons of fruit in 43 refrigerated containers. This cargo included bananas from Laos and longans from Thailand. The Thai longans were transported by road from Bangkok to Vientiane before their rail journey to Huaihua, completing the trip in just five days.

Moving forward, a variety of Southeast Asian fruit, such as durians, mangosteens, dragon fruit and longans, will be routed to Huaihua via sea/rail intermodal and cross-border railway transportation. Huaihua is poised to become a central collection, distribution and trade hub, with the imported fruit being distributed to major cities including Beijing, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Xi’an and Changsha, as well as the surrounding Wuling Mountains region.

Image: Unsplash

This article was based on a Chinese article. Read the original article.