China and Russia have launched the Arctic Express No 1 rail-sea cargo service.

NewNew Shipping and Rosatom are running the service which sees cargo moved by rail from Moscow to the Russian port of Arkhangelsk from where it is then shipped across the Arctic and North Pacific oceans to ports in China.

The 13,200 km journey takes 20 to 25 days, roughly one week faster than the Northern Sea Route (NSR).

Rosatom, which oversees the NSR, and NewNew Shipping have formed a joint venture to develop a fleet of five ice-classed boxships which will work all year round. The new ships will deliver in 2027.