The group says there has been an increase in demand for sustainably produced fibers from Chinese customers and the new transport route helps it deliver the fibres twice as quickly than by the usual sea freight.

The first train had 41 containers of Tencel branded lyocell and modal fibres  at a value of €1.8m. 

It travelled 10,460km through Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and China.  

Friedrich Stift, Austrian ambassador to China, said: “The delivery of Austrian-made products through the China Railway Express adheres to the sustainable concept of Lenzing. Since China and Austria signed the bilateral railway cooperation agreement in 1994, the two countries have maintained good cooperation in the railway field and will continue to do so in the future. 

“China is Austria's largest partner in Asia, and it is believed that after the outbreak of the corona crisis bilateral trade will normalise in 2021.” 

Photo: The train started on August 20 in the presence of Leonore Gewessler, Austria's Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology; Xiaosi Li, ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Austria; Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group; Thomas Kargl, board member of the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group; Erwin Cootjans, CEO of Nunner Logistics; and Erich Hampel, chairman of the B&C Private Foundation, at the Vienna South Terminal and reached his destination at the Xinzhu train station in Xi'an, China. Credit: Lenzing