Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway company, and China’s Ministry of Railways have signed an MOU to cooperate more closely in rail freight transport and in expanding China’s railway infrastructure.

Both parties confirmed their intention to strengthen rail freight transport and increase the number of new transport connections between Asia and Europe.

“The more Chinese production sites that move from the coast inland, the more interesting rail transport to Europe becomes for many manufacturers,” said Karl-Friedrich Rausch, board member of DB Mobility Logistics. “We want to meet this demand.”

The intention is also to involve Russian Railways (RZD) to strengthen transportation capacity between Europe and Asia.