Update: China-Europe freight train service hits 100,000 trips, boosting global economic, trade ties

CHONGQING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) — The 100,000th China-Europe freight train departed from southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on Friday morning, a significant milestone in the development of the service that facilitates economic and trade exchanges between China and Europe.

The train, fully loaded with a diverse array of goods such as electronic products, vehicles and auto parts, mechanical components, and household appliances, is expected to arrive in Duisburg, Germany, in just over 10 days.

“The China-Europe freight train service enables more high-quality Chinese products to reach overseas markets faster and at lower transportation costs, while also creating a new gateway for foreign businesses to enter the Chinese market,” said Zhang Xiaolong from Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd.

“With the continuous improvement in international rail freight efficiency, the China-Europe freight train service is poised for significant growth, offering vast potential and promising prospects for the future,” Zhang said.

In March 2011, the China-Europe freight train (Yuxinou) service was launched from Chongqing to Duisburg, establishing a direct overland trade corridor between China and Europe.

Over the past 13 years, the service has transported over 11 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) containers of goods, valued at more than 420 billion U.S. dollars.

Its operational efficiency has significantly improved, with the time needed to complete 10,000 trips reduced from seven and a half years to just six months, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

So far, the China-Europe freight train network has expanded to 227 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.