Restart of China-Vietnam Railway Cold Chain Express: A New Artery in International Logistics and the Path of Opportunities for SMEs

A refrigerated express train carrying 130 tons of Vietnamese dragon fruit slowly pulled into the Huaihua International Land Port in Hunan. The China-Vietnam railway cold chain corridor, interrupted for three years, is pulsating once more, quietly reshaping the landscape of the international logistics industry.

On January 26th, a cold chain express train fully loaded with 130 tons of Vietnamese dragon fruit arrived at the Huaihua International Land Port in Hunan Province after a complete rail journey. This restart of the China-Vietnam railway cold chain service, halted for three years, completed the trip from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to Huaihua, Hunan, in just six days. This marks the official resumption of the "Huaihua-Ho Chi Minh" cross-border railway cold chain corridor.

This cold chain express utilized China Railway Special Cargo's "8+1" power car group for transportation, with the cargo valued at approximately 750,000 RMB. In the future, this route plans to establish itself as a scheduled "Hunan-Vietnam Fresh Channel" express, aiming for normalized and stable operation.

01 Event Recap: The Restarted Cold Chain Artery

The China-Vietnam railway cold chain express service, suspended for three years, officially resumed on January 26, 2026. A cold chain express loaded with 130 tons of Vietnamese dragon fruit departed from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and successfully arrived at the Huaihua International Land Port in Hunan after a full rail transport journey.

This represents not only the reconnection of a physical channel but also a significant upgrade in international trade logistics models. The express employs an advanced China Railway Special Cargo "8+1" power car group to ensure constant temperature throughout the transportation.

The journey took only six days from departure on January 20th to arrival on January 26th, substantially shortening the traditional transport cycle for cross-border movement.

02 Industry Transformation: New Trends in Cold Chain Logistics

This event reveals profound changes within the international logistics sector. Cross-border railway cold chain transport is emerging as a new option for international trade, particularly in the agricultural and fresh food sectors.

The Huaihua International Land Port, as a crucial logistics hub in Hunan for connecting with ASEAN, has been continuously optimizing its cross-border cold chain transport services. The restart of this China-Vietnam railway cold chain express marks another vital step in expanding the ASEAN market, following the stable operation of the China-Laos railway cold chain express.

Advancements in cold chain technology have made cross-border fresh transport feasible. For instance, the backpack-style refrigeration containers used on the China-Laos railway can maintain a temperature precision of ±0.1°C, ensuring tropical mangoes remain fresh even after a 2000-kilometer journey.

03 Opportunities for Small and Medium-Sized Logistics Enterprises

This change presents multiple opportunities for small and medium-sized international logistics enterprises. First, opportunities to explore emerging markets. As trade between China and ASEAN grows increasingly closer, the demand for specialized cold chain logistics continues to rise.

Second, an opportunity for service upgrading. Traditional logistics companies can use this chance to transform and upgrade, developing specialized cross-border cold chain services to enhance their competitiveness.

Third, opportunities for regional development. Initiatives like the "Hunan-Vietnam Fresh Channel" planned by the Huaihua International Land Port will form a regional cold chain logistics network, providing a development platform for local logistics enterprises.

04 Challenges and Responses

Opportunities come hand-in-hand with challenges. Small and medium-sized international logistics enterprises face multiple tests in the cross-border cold chain domain. The technical threshold is relatively high, requiring significant investment in specialized cold chain equipment and management systems.

The complexity of cross-border coordination is another challenge. International cold chain transportation involves customs, inspection, and quarantine departments from multiple countries, making the process intricate. The successful operation of this China-Vietnam express, for example, required coordinated support from multiple parties including China Railway Special Cargo, Vietnam Railway Transport and Trade Joint Stock Company, and the customs authorities in Huaihua and Pingxiang.

Significant financial pressure exists. Cold chain logistics requires substantial initial investment with a long return cycle, testing the capital chains of SMEs. Furthermore, market competition is intensifying, with large logistics enterprises also laying out their cross-border cold chain strategies.

05 The Inevitable Choice of Digital Transformation

Facing these challenges, digital transformation becomes an inevitable choice for small and medium-sized international logistics enterprises. Through digital means, companies can enhance operational efficiency, reduce management costs, and strengthen market competitiveness.

Shanghai Wenaili, as a service provider focused on digital solutions for international logistics, deeply understands the industry's pain points and transformation needs. Through intelligent logistics management systems, enterprises can achieve real-time monitoring and management of the entire cross-border cold chain transportation process.

Digital platforms can also help companies optimize transport routes and improve customs clearance efficiency. For instance, the facilitative measure of "conditional release" for imported fruits implemented jointly by Huaihua Customs and Pingxiang Customs improved port clearance efficiency by 20%. Similar digital clearance solutions can significantly enhance logistics efficiency.

06 Future Outlook and Action Recommendations

Looking ahead, the restart of the China-Vietnam railway cold chain express is just a beginning. With the deepening implementation of regional trade agreements like RCEP, trade between China and ASEAN countries will become even closer, leading to sustained growth in cross-border logistics demand.

The Huaihua International Land Port plans to continue deepening logistics cooperation with ASEAN countries, continually enriching import categories, enhancing service capabilities, and striving to build itself into a distribution center for agricultural products and a cold chain logistics hub facing ASEAN.

For small and medium-sized international logistics enterprises, it is advisable to closely monitor policy trends and seize market opportunities; strengthen technological investment to enhance professional cold chain logistics capabilities; explore cooperation models to build synergies with peers or upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain; and accelerate digital transformation, leveraging technological means to boost competitiveness.

The international logistics industry stands at a new starting point for development. Shanghai Wenaili looks forward to working alongside small and medium-sized international logistics enterprises to grasp the opportunities brought by changes in the international trade landscape and jointly welcome a new era in cross-border logistics.

The reopening of the China-Vietnam railway cold chain express signifies not only the revival of a physical corridor but also a marker of the international logistics industry's development towards greater efficiency, specialization, and digitization. On this new artery, every logistics enterprise can find its place and opportunity.