Port-railway link to boost economy
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-04-01 16:02

A rail traffic throughway linking Yantian port in Shenzhen and Chengdu Railway Station in Sichuan Province will be opened on April 20 with trains commuting between the two cities, a municipal traffic control bureau inspector said Wednesday.

The rail line was a joint effort of the government bodies, including the customs and railway stations, in both cities, said Zhang Binhan, the bureau inspector.

The throughway will specify Chengdu Railway Station and Shenzhen Pinghu South Railway Station as the fixed stations for cargo loading or unloading, while using the Chengdu Customs' railway station office as its inland customs and Sungang Customs (within the precinct of Pinghu South) as its port customs.

Customs procedures such as cargo declaration, examination, taxation, foreign exchange settlement and tax rebates for imports and exports passing the throughway, would be handled by Chengdu Customs' railway station office. Sungang Customs will not check the cargo and will only ensure that the cargo is transferred quickly.

The port-railway link would enable shippers to face only "one window" during the cargo delivery, said Zheng Ruiyong, a Shenzhen Customs official. By simplifying the customs declaration procedures, costs and the time cargo stays at the port would be would both be reduced, said Zheng.

Local government officials also said the move was a major step in boosting the economies of the Pan-Delta area.

"The opening of the throughway is significant," said Peng Xinye, deputy director-general of Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Trade Cooperation Bureau.

"It is an important strategy in not only supporting the area's western development and promoting cooperation between the west and east, but also in enhancing Shenzhen's logistic and trading industries," he said. "It will enable the major products of inland cities to be exported abroad via Shenzhen and enable the overseas products needed by Sichuan to be constantly imported via Shenzhen."

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