Starting in 2018, to achieve the goal of adjusting the transportation structure, the Ministry of Transport implemented "road-to-rail" and "road-to-water" action plans in three key regions: the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Fenwei Plain. Nationwide, six major actions were implemented: railway capacity enhancement, waterway system upgrading, road freight management, multimodal transport acceleration, urban green delivery, and information resource integration. This approach aimed to adjust the transportation structure through a comprehensive and coordinated strategy.
In May 2025, the Ministry of Transport and other departments jointly promoted the shared use of multimodal transport yards at ports such as Ningbo-Zhoushan, Guangzhou Nansha, and Qinzhou, involving integrated terminal operations, integrated customs supervision, and efficient information interconnection. Multimodal transport is becoming key to increasing the volume and quality of container transport, effectively reducing loading, unloading, transshipment, and storage costs through the integrated development of port terminals and railway stations. Ports such as Ningbo-Zhoushan, Guangzhou, and Qinzhou have significantly improved their operational capabilities by achieving shared terminals and unified operations. Meanwhile, multimodal transport breaks down information barriers, achieves data interconnection, and improves the quality of intermodal transport services. Some ports are also piloting a "single bill of lading" sea-rail intermodal logistics model to simplify processes and improve efficiency.
