Russian Railways Says Delivering Medical Supplies From China To EU Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th June, 2020) Russia's state-run railroad company Russian Railways has helped deliver vital medical supplies from China to Europe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in conjunction with Chinese and European firms, a representative of the company told Sputnik.

"On June 23, the first container train with medical supplies arrived at the Valenton railroad terminal in Paris. This was the result of cooperation between Russian Railways Holding, SNCF Forwardis [a subsidiary of the French state rail company SNCF], and the China Ocean Shipping Company, to organize the expedited delivery of vital goods by rail," the representative said.

The train, consisting of 41 containers, departed from the city of Nanchang on June 4.

It arrived in France 19 days later - one day ahead of schedule - after covering 7,406 miles. The representative said that the train, which carried vital medical supplies including 40 million medical masks, traveled along a new route, in order to speed up deliveries.

"The launch of a new railroad route is motivated by the need to ensure reliable supplies, primarily of medical equipment to tackle the pandemic. The delivery of these treatments must be carried out as quickly as possible, and according to schedule," the Russian Railways representative said.

Russian Railways has previously organized the rapid delivery of medical supplies from China to various Russian cities throughout the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.