With the official launch of the China-Europe freight train service on June 8, Poland, as an important country along the “Belt and Road” route, will significantly benefit from the freight network thanks to its geographic location and labor costs.

During Polish President Andrzej Duda’s visit to China last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that both sides can further discuss the proposal of building Poland into a logistic hub that covers the entire Central and Eastern European region.

Poland is also China’s largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the only member of the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in the region.

“The cargo volume of Poland State Railways is the second largest among all EU countries,” said Marek, Deputy Mayor of Lodz, Poland’s second largest city.

After the Chengdu-Lodz freight train begins service, the Polish city will become the largest logistics center in the EU, Marek said, adding that the city’s railway station will be the biggest hub to transfer Chinese goods to the European market.

At present, Chengdu, Wuhan and Suzhou offer direct cargo train service to Poland. Many other China-Europe freight train lines will pass the country as well. Altogether 16 cities in China now run cargo lines to Duisburg, Hamburg, Madrid and another 9 European cities.