From 0 to 110,000 -- What's on Board the Fast-Growing China-Europe Freight Trains?

BEIJING, June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on China-Europe Freight Trains:

On June 10, the 110,000th China-Europe freight train slowly set off from Jiaozhou Station in Qingdao, Shandong Province, fully loaded with electronic displays and household appliances among other goods, heading to Moscow, Russia. With this shipment, the total value of goods transported by the China-Europe freight train service has surpassed USD 450 billion.

However, the growth path of the China-Europe freight train was far from plain sailing. Instead, the early days of its operation were particularly challenging. Given the numerous countries along the route and different railway technical standards, limited transportation capacity and low awareness among overseas clients, the freight train service went through a rough start. From the first train's departure from Chongqing in 2011, it took four years to reach a total of just 1,000 trips, and it wasn't until 2018 that the total number hit 10,000.

It took 90 months for the China-Europe freight trains to complete their first 10,000 trips, but only six months to go from 100,000 to 110,000.

The development of the China-Europe freight train service has gained momentum thanks to substantial improvements in speed, operational stability, and the continued expansion of transportation networks both in China and abroad. As of today, China has established three domestic corridors for the freight train service — the Western, Central and Eastern routes, connecting 229 cities across 26 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. With such connectivity and reach, the China-Europe freight train service has become a veritable "golden corridor" for trade between Asia and Europe.

Customs clearance along the service route has also become faster and more efficient. On July 10, 2023, a special order was placed for the China-Europe freight train service in the Lianyungang terminal in eastern China's Jiangsu Province. Taewoong Logistics, a Korean company, needed a shipment of elementary school textbooks to Uzbekistan before the new semester started on Sep. 1. However, bad weather delayed the cargo ship's arrival in Lianyungang from Korea by four days. To make up for the lost time, the port and customs in Lianyungang prepared in advance and even conducted multiple drills, greatly streamlining the process once the cargo arrived. Within twenty hours, the international freight train carrying 50 wagons of books headed off to its destination. This year, with the roll-out of the "Digital Port" system, regular China-Europe freight trains can complete customs clearance in as little as a few minutes.

With the rapid development of the freight train service, the range of goods moving in both directions has grown increasingly diverse. What was once a "one-way trip" has become a journey where trains now return fully loaded. Customers outside China can easily purchase Chinese-made products, such as new energy vehicles, lithium-ion battery products, and daily necessities, more quickly and at better prices. In the meantime, Spanish wine, Dutch cheese and Thai durians, among other specialties from European and Asian countries have become common sights on Chinese supermarket shelves. Now, more than 50,000 types of products across 53 categories have been transported and traded via the China-Europe freight train service.

Dubbed the "steel camel caravan," the China-Europe freight train carries more than just cargo. The network's rapid expansion has brought a wealth of job opportunities, broader international market access, more diverse and flexible industrial layouts, and more convenient and cost-effective export channels. Meanwhile, it serves as a bridge between participating nations, facilitating cultural exchanges and mutual understanding.

The Ancient Silk Road witnessed bustling scenes of untiring envoys and businesspeople over land and countless ships calling at ports. Today, the Belt and Road Initiative is committed to a vision that is even more promising. Millennia later, train whistles have replaced the ringing of camel bells, yet the caravan spirit endures, carrying the same prosperity, happiness and hope for the future.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm 

SOURCE China.org.cn