THE road-sea service between China,Russia,Japan and South korea has commenced trials after there years of talks to set it up by the four countries,reports Logistics Week.

The service,to be put into normal operation in Marth next year with a weekly pendulum schedule,links Niigata port in Japan to Sokcho in South Korea and of an 800 nautical mile voyage,after which it enters Huichun pass in China by road transport from Zarubino.

Sokcho-based Northeast Asia Shipping Corporation(NASC)run the operations with the support of the four governments.during its operation,companies involved in China and Japan are responsible for organising cargo sources while those in Russia takes care of the clearance,warehousing,loadings and transshipments inside Russian borders while South Korea's NASC takes charge of ships and coordination.

The service is the first to directly reach west coast of Japan from northeast China across the Sea of Japan.It cuts domn the Huichun-to Niigata transit time from 12 days to 20 hours, as well as reducing shipping costs.On a conservative estimate,it is expected to move at least 12,000 TEU each year dfter its operation.