BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11. Growing containerized trade between China and Central Asia and rising demand for reliable rail transport prompted FESCO to launch its new Caravan Shuttle service connecting China with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, a representative of the Russian transport and logistics group told Trend in an exclusive interview.
"The key drivers were the steady growth in containerized trade between China and Central Asia and rising customer demand for reliable and predictable rail services," Kulakov Egor said.
According to FESCO, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are among the region's fastest-growing logistics markets, while overland rail routes remain the preferred option for moving cargo from China due to geographical and economic advantages.
The company also pointed to the rapid development of manufacturing clusters in western China, particularly in Sichuan Province, as another major factor behind the launch of the service.
"Another important factor is the rapid development of manufacturing clusters in western China, particularly in Sichuan Province, which generates significant export cargo flows to Central Asia. Against this backdrop, the launch of FESCO Caravan Shuttle was a natural next step in expanding the Group's overland route network," Kulakov noted.
FESCO said its newly opened office in Chengdu will serve as one of the company's key hubs for strengthening logistics links between western China and Central Asia.
"The Chengdu office is becoming one of FESCO's key hubs for developing overland logistics services from western China. This will not only enhance the quality of our customer service but also help increase containerized rail volumes to Central Asia, the Republic of Belarus and, of course, Russia," he said.
The company described Central Asia as one of its priority regions for expanding international rail transportation, with Uzbekistan playing a particularly strategic role.
"We see Central Asia as one of our priority regions for the development of international rail transportation. Uzbekistan plays a particularly important role in this strategy due to its geographical location, growing foreign trade volumes, expanding industrial base, and position as one of the region's key transport and logistics hubs," Kulakov mentioned.
FESCO noted that it has been operating in Uzbekistan for more than 15 years through its FESCO Tashkent Shuttle service, which connects Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port with Tashkent's Chukursay station. Over the past 12 years, the company has dispatched around 600 container trains on the route, transporting import cargo from East and Southeast Asia to Uzbekistan.
The Caravan Shuttle complements the company's existing logistics network by offering customers an additional overland route from China into Central Asia.
Regarding cargo volumes, FESCO said it plans to begin with one to two scheduled container trains per month while remaining ready to increase capacity as demand grows.
"At the initial stage, we plan to operate one to two scheduled container trains per month, with capacity available to multiple shippers. As demand and cargo volumes grow, FESCO is ready to scale up the service and gradually increase departure frequency on the route," he added.
