Earlier this month, a China-Europe freight train departed from Wujiashan Station in Wuhan, the capital of central China’s Hubei Province. Fully loaded with 55 containers of textiles, medical supplies, electronic products and other goods, the train set off on its westward journey to Duisburg, Germany, thousands of miles away.
This trip marks a significant milestone. As of July 10, this year’s China-Europe freight train trips had surpassed 10,000, breaking the mark 19 days earlier than last year.
According to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd (China Railway), the freight train service network currently reaches 224 cities in 25 European countries and connects over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries, covering almost the entire Eurasian continent. Moreover, the trains have transported more than 1.08 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods this year, up 11 percent yearly.
These achievements testify to the trips’ increasing efficiency and volume, profoundly impacting international trade and logistics.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), introduced in 2013, bolstered the China-Europe freight train service. The initiative seeks to enhance trade and connectivity between China and countries along the ancient Silk Road, including Europe. Consequently, the China-Europe freight train service has become a critical part of the BRI, facilitating trade and fostering economic ties between the two regions.
https://english.news.cn/20240728/2fed0e97358a479993e392ffc880af3c/c.html