The first Harbin–Russia international cargo train carrying 47 cargo containers started operation from Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, on Feb. 27.

In the next 10 days, the train will pass through Manzhouli Port, Russian cities such as Novosibirsk and Chelyabinsk, and finally reach Yekaterinburg, the final destination.

The total running time is 10 days, covering a total distance of 5,889 kilometers. With the new train’s operation, cargo transport time from China to Russia will be greatly shortened.

Meng Qingwen, general manager of Hao Logistics, the company that runs the train service, said: "With the shortest operating time and lowest cost, it will become the best China–Russia international cargo line."

According to Meng, goods in southern China used to be transported to Dalian by train or trucks, and then shipped eventually to Russia later. It generally took 40 days for the products to arrive at their final destination.

The new cargo train, starting from Harbin and entering Russia from Manzhouli Port, is currently the shortest operating rail line to Russia.

Foods carried by the train will go through only a one-time customs inspection in Harbin, which will greatly save on time and cost.

Moreover, the rail transport is safe and reliable. The rate of damage for cargo transport is much lower than that of sea transport.