First container ship on China-Europe Arctic route arrives in Gdansk, Poland

This photo taken on Oct. 19, 2025 shows a container being unloaded from the "Istanbul Bridge," the first vessel on the China-Europe Arctic container express route, at the Port of Gdansk, Poland. (Xinhua/Cui Li)

The China-Europe Arctic Express Route takes the Arctic's Northeast Passage directly to Europe, significantly reducing travel time compared with traditional routes.

GDANSK, Poland, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- After a 26-day voyage, the first container ship operating on the China-Europe Arctic container express route, the Istanbul Bridge, arrived early Sunday morning at the Port of Gdansk in northern Poland.

The vessel began berthing at the Baltic Hub Terminal before 6 a.m., slightly delayed due to sea conditions, and loading and unloading operations commenced around 7 a.m., according to port authorities.

Departing from the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China's Zhejiang Province on Sept. 23, the Istanbul Bridge carried about 4,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo. It made stops at ports in Britain and Germany before arriving in Poland. After operations in Gdansk, the ship is scheduled to depart for the Netherlands on Sunday night.

This photo taken on Oct. 19, 2025 shows a container unloaded from the "Istanbul Bridge," the first vessel on the China-Europe Arctic container express route, being loaded onto a truck at the Port of Gdansk, Poland. (Xinhua/Cui Li)

The China-Europe Arctic Express Route takes the Arctic's Northeast Passage directly to Europe, significantly reducing travel time compared with traditional routes - about 40 days via the Suez Canal and 50 days via the Cape of Good Hope. The Istanbul Bridge reached its first European stop, Felixstowe in Britain, in just 20 days, comparable to or faster than the China-Europe freight train, which takes around 25 days.

Li Xiaobin, chief operating officer of Sea Legend Line Limited, the route's operator, said sea and temperature conditions along the Arctic route are ideal for transporting temperature-sensitive and time-critical goods. "The low temperatures help preserve certain high-tech components," he said.

Sea Legend Line plans to establish regular summer voyages along the route by 2026. During the winter non-navigable period, the company intends to expand its express service network to Eastern Europe.