[File photo]

On Oct. 17, China's National Development and Reform Commission announced that the country will move forward with a comprehensive service system of China-Europe freight trains, which is expected to feature 5,000 trains by the year 2020.

According to the five-year plan, construction of transport passages and junction terminals will be finished by 2020. The transport volume of backhaul freight trains is expected to soar, and the development of international mail service to normalize.

Additionally, a convenient, safe, effective and green platform for logistics services will be established, and customs declarations will be streamlined, with a single-window system that enables cross-border traders to submit regulatory documents at one location.

Coordinated by China Railway Corporation, the China-Europe freight trains will operate in accordance with fixed train numbers, routes and schedules. The trains are considered an important measure for enhancing economic cooperation between countries along the lines, as well as pushing forward the Belt and Road Initiative.

By the end of June 2016, there were 1,881 freight trains already in operation, with import and export trade reaching a total value of about $17 billion.