JAL Cargo partners with rail operator JR East to speed up transit times

JAL Cargo has partnered with rail operator JR East to accelerate domestic shipment transfers in eastern Japan, targeting time-sensitive commodities such as seafood. The new service, branded JAL de Hako-byun, was launched on 13 January and would leverage JR East’s Shinkansen high-speed rail network to move cargo more rapidly from regional production areas to international gateways. JAL said the rail-air combination would deliver significantly shorter lead times, high punctuality and enhanced network connectivity. Under the new service, transit times from Sendai to Singapore are expected to fall from more than 24 hours to 19 hours. Departure stations include Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, Shin-Aomori, Morioka, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Nagano and Tsuruga. Cargo will be routed via Tokyo Haneda and Narita airports before onward international flights to destinations including Singapore Changi, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur International, Hong Kong International, Taiwan Taoyuan and Taipei Songshan, as per a report.