HCMC – A container train service linking Danang City of Vietnam and Europe has been suspended due to concerns over the Russia-Ukraine military conflict, according to the Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR).
As planned earlier, the train service was supposed to be launched early this month. The train consists of 23 40-foot containers, transporting IKEA-branded furniture to Europe, the local media reported.
The train would depart from Danang to Hanoi’s Dong Anh station, stop at the Dong Dang International Railway Station in Lang Son Province for customs clearance and then travel on to China’s Zhengzhou station before connecting to the Asia-Europe rail line to get to its destinations.
Due to Russia’s special military operation against Ukraine, IKEA suspended the plan.
The International Union of Railways has suspended the Russian and Belarusian railways and their subsidiaries from participating in the organization. However, the railways from Vietnam to Russia and China have not been affected.
In July 2021, VNR operated the first container train from Hanoi to Belgium. It currently runs three container trains from Hanoi to Europe per week.
Earlier, goods were gathered in Hanoi by train or road transport services before being transported to other countries. However, since this month, goods are being gathered in Hanoi, Danang or Dong Nai, thus saving logistics costs and time.
