China needs to allow more companies offering container service and grant private players flexibility to improve railway container transport efficiency, industry experts suggested at a logistics conference in Shanghai.

　　There are opportunities for private investors to enter cold storage and transport sectors. The industry needs improvement, said experts at Second China Supply Chain and Logistics Roundtable yesterday.

　　"Building more railway lines is one option, but other options like setting up specialized container service providers and increasing every train's freight carrying capacity are also useful for China to improve its current slow railway container transport," said Graham Smith, transport sector coordinator with the Beijing office of World Bank.

　　He praised China's Ministry of Railways' move to open three firms focusing on container traffic, express service and dangerous goods transport at the end of last year, which changed competition in the rail system.

　　Smith suggested government allow more joint ventures in the railway container transport sector.

　　Cold storage is another underdeveloped sector offering opportunities for private company investments, he added.

　　Smith was one of the experts who addressed over 140 participants including company executives, experts and officials.

　　"As a software provider for specialized logistics companies, I'm better informed about what kind of logistic solutions my customers really need," said Jerry Cheng, a sales manager with Satyam Computer Services (Shanghai) Co Ltd.

　　Another attendee said he learned from speakers how to cut logistic costs and gained a better understanding of obstacles faced by cold storage transportation.

　　"Lack of nationwide cold-chain distribution networks makes the logistics remain a key challenge for supermarkets around China," said Samir Kumar, the general manager covering China business for Frontier Foods Co Ltd, an Australian cheese exporter.

　　Though experts called for improvement in sectors like air freight, China was praised for its expressway network expansion and lowered costs.