Corridor
Glossary
The key terms of Eurasian rail and multimodal logistics, explained briefly and precisely.
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- 20DC
20-foot standard dry container.
- 40HC
40-foot high-cube container with an external height of 2.90 m, standard equipment in China–Europe rail.
B
- BESS
A battery energy storage system is a battery storage unit whose transport requires a review of type, capacity and condition.
- Block train
A complete train running from origin to destination terminal as one unit, without shunting en route.
Block trains pay off for consolidated volumes or short-notice extra demand. Ad-hoc block trains are planned by route, train size, equipment and time window.
C
- CFS (Container Freight Station)
A warehouse where groupage shipments are consolidated or deconsolidated.
D
- Door-to-door
A continuous transport chain from pickup address to consignee address, including pre- and on-carriage.
- Dostyk / Alashankou
Border crossing between Kazakhstan (Dostyk) and China (Alashankou), central to Eurasian rail traffic.
F
- FCL (Full Container Load)
A full container booked exclusively for one shipment, regardless of how full it is.
- FTL (Full Truck Load)
A full truckload for a single shipment.
G
- Gauge change
Transshipping containers between rail networks of different gauges, e.g. from 1,520 mm broad gauge to 1,435 mm standard gauge.
H
- HS code
Harmonised System code for customs classification of goods, the basis for clearance and quotations.
I
- Incoterms
International delivery terms defining the transfer of cost and risk between seller and buyer, e.g. FCA Shanghai.
- Intermodal transport
Transport in one loading unit, usually a container, across several modes without handling the goods themselves.
K
- Khorgos
Border crossing and dry port between China and Kazakhstan, a hub for northern and Middle Corridor traffic.
L
- LCL (Less than Container Load)
A part load in a shared groupage container, by rail or sea. Charged by volume or weight.
- LTL (Less than Truck Load)
A part load by road, consolidated with other shipments.
M
- Main leg
The longest leg of a transport chain, such as the rail leg between China and Europe.
- Małaszewicze
Transshipment station on the Polish–Belarusian border and the key EU gateway of the northern route.
- Middle Corridor
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route runs by rail and ferry from China via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia to Türkiye and Europe.
- Modal shift
Shifting transport to more sustainable modes, such as from road or air to rail.
N
- Northern corridor
Rail corridor from China via Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus to Poland, with gauge change in Małaszewicze.
O
- OCR
Ocean service between Japan, China and Europe with weekly sailings.
- One-way use
A container is picked up at one location and returned at another agreed location.
- Open top
A container without a fixed roof for cargo loaded from above or exceeding standard height.
- Out of gauge (OOG)
Cargo exceeding the permitted loading gauge that requires special equipment or a different loading method.
P
- PAX (Panda Express)
Ocean service between Asia and Europe with sailings every 14 days, European leg via the Cape of Good Hope.
- Pre- and on-carriage
Transport from shipper to departure terminal (pre-carriage) and from destination terminal to consignee (on-carriage).
R
- Repositioning
Moving empty containers to where they are needed.
S
- Single container
Booking individual containers on existing network departures without commissioning a whole train.
T
- Terminal to terminal
Transit time or scope from departure to destination terminal, excluding pre- and on-carriage.
- Traction
Hauling trains with locomotives, electric or diesel.
- Transit carrier
Service linking international handover points via Eurasian corridors with the European network.
W
- Westbound / eastbound
The terms describe the direction of transport. Westbound runs from Asia to Europe, eastbound from Europe to Asia.