On July 28, a new multimodal transport corridor linking the Jinsha and Yangtze Rivers was officially inaugurated, according to the Sichuan Port and Shipping Investment Group. The milestone was marked by the successful launch of the "Yunnan Pudu Ferry-Yibin Port-Hubei Zhicheng Port" phosphate rock rail-water intermodal train, which not only opens up a major logistics artery for mineral resources in western Sichuan but also strengthens the role of Yibin Port as a core hub on the upper Yangtze River, injecting strong momentum into the export of bulk commodities from the Southwest region.

For a long time, the phosphate-rich areas of Leibo and Mabian in western Sichuan have faced significant logistical bottlenecks. The complex terrain and underdeveloped collection and distribution systems led to a situation where resources were "difficult to transport, slow to move, and costly to ship," preventing the region's resource advantages from being converted into economic benefits. To solve this, Yibin Port leveraged its central position on the upper Yangtze, with support from the provincial transportation department and the platform of the Port and Shipping Investment Group. It innovatively built a "rail collection and distribution + Yangtze River waterway transshipment" model, focusing on the three key strategies of "smooth flow, efficiency, and cost reduction," and successfully opened the new Jinsha River-Yangtze River multimodal transport corridor.

Smooth flow: This strategy focused on overcoming physical capacity bottlenecks. The corridor shifted from a single, hampered route to a multi-line, unimpeded system. Previously, the transport of phosphate rock from western Sichuan faced a difficult choice: water transport was limited by the Jinsha River's navigability, requiring a time-consuming transshipment at the Xiangjiaba Dam, while road transport offered low capacity and high costs. Traditional bulk cargo handling involved multiple loading and unloading cycles, creating severe "blockages" in the logistics chain. Now, thanks to the new "rail collection and distribution + Yangtze River waterway transshipment" model, phosphate rock is shipped directly from the Pudu Ferry station in Yunnan's Yanjin County to the port by rail, enabling a seamless "offload straight to ship" process. This transformation has broken down geographical barriers, turning a fragmented transport network into a coordinated system linking rail, road, and water, with efficient transshipment at key hubs.

Efficiency: This strategy targeted a significant improvement in transportation efficiency, moving from long cycles and slow transit to rapid connections and high timeliness. Under the old model, cargo faced multiple transfers and long waiting times at ports and hubs, resulting in low overall efficiency. The new corridor has implemented a series of efficiency-boosting measures by improving hub connection facilities and optimizing cross-provincial scheduling mechanisms. The total shipping time has been drastically reduced from around 30 days to less than 20 days, a major improvement in efficiency. The large-scale transport capacity of rail block trains is now deeply integrated with the efficient "fast-in, fast-out" operations at the port, minimizing connection times and turning the once slow and inefficient transport chain into a high-speed, convenient "express lane," providing solid support for the large-scale shipment of western Sichuan phosphate rock.

Cost reduction: This strategy focused on optimizing commercial logistics costs, moving from high expenses and significant losses to lower spending and better economics. To address the problems of numerous transfer points, high cargo damage, and high overall costs in the traditional model, the new corridor has vigorously promoted a "break-bulk to container" transport model. Standardized container operations replace the multiple loading and unloading cycles of bulk cargo, effectively solving the "high loss" problem. Specifically, the cost of rail transport is about 23% lower than road transport, and losses are reduced by approximately 35% compared to the old model. Furthermore, by securing stable long-term freight rates with shipping companies, the impact of price fluctuations on corporate profits is mitigated, resulting in an overall reduction in comprehensive logistics costs of over 4%. By optimizing the rail-water transport route and integrating hub transshipment processes, the new corridor has directly cut down on inefficient logistics costs, delivering tangible "cost-saving benefits" to businesses and significantly enhancing the market competitiveness of regional minerals.

The opening of this corridor effectively connects the upper Jinsha River with the Yangtze River's golden waterway, and its value extends beyond logistics to become a new engine for the regional economy. In terms of industrial support, the corridor serves the transport of raw materials for core industries like phosphate rock and coal. The dual optimization of logistics costs and efficiency directly enhances the circulation capacity of regional mineral resources, providing crucial support for industrial upgrading in the Southwest. For opening up the region, the corridor achieves a seamless link between the land transport network and the Yangtze River, transforming the Southwest from a "transport dead-end" into a "frontier hub," thereby greatly improving its ability to connect with the Yangtze River Economic Belt and integrate into the "Belt and Road" initiative. As a central node in the water transport system, Yibin Port bears the heavy responsibility of aggregating cargo, driving energy transition, and connecting trunk and branch lines, and its operational efficiency directly determines the smooth flow of the river basin's economic lifeline. Looking ahead, Yibin Port will actively integrate into the "Three Axes, One River" strategic layout of the Sichuan Port and Shipping Investment Group and implement the "Open Up One River" three-year navigation revitalization plan. Serving the national strategies for the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the comprehensive development of the lower Jinsha River, it will continue to deepen cross-regional cooperation, expand new multimodal transport routes and cargo sources, and develop the "Jinsha River-Yangtze River Rail-Road-Water Multimodal Transport New Corridor" into a benchmark multimodal transport route for Sichuan, fully leveraging its role as a core hub on the upper Yangtze River to contribute to building a smooth and efficient logistics system for the upper reaches of the river.