Logistics group and supplier GEFCO is set to trial the reliability, lead times and quality control of a 'Silk Road' solution for the benefit of BMW.

The road will be used to transport cars in container via a railway line from Europe and towards China, reports Logistics Manager.

So far, GEFCO has worked with Trans-Rak to ensure that containers that will be moving cars from place to place will need minimum handling, optimal loading to hopefully arrive without damage.

A pilot of the road solution was launched in November 2015, which was an overall success, so it's hoped that the current completion of a second shipment of 40 vehicles will show that this is a viable service moving forward.

During the second phase, the cars were moved from Regensburg to Chengdu in 15-17 days, which is a vast improvement over the 55 days it takes to move them by sea.

Paul Donaldson, managing director at Trans-Rak, said: "The challenge for automotive manufacturer exporting into vast regions like China has been that the ports are situated in the west of the country and there is a lack of infrastructure."