The first Guangzhou-South Asia freight train pulled into Lhasa on the afternoon of Dec. 5, signifying the opening of a rail-motor transport route linking Guangdong, Tibet and Nepal.

The train departed from Dalang, Guangzhou province, traveling through Sichuan province, Chongqing municipality and Tibet Autonomous Region before reaching Lhasa. The whole journey from Guangzhou to Kathmandu is 6,070 kilometers, which includes 5,200 kilometers of rail and 870 kilometers of highway.

The train carried eight standard containers and 14 carriages containing clothing, furniture, home appliances and electronic products worth 19 million RMB. The goods will enter Nepal from Tibet’s Jilong Port and finally arrive in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu through highways.

After a trial period, the travel time from Guangzhou to Lhasa will be shortened to 3.7 days.

The train provides a convenient and efficient trade channel between Tibet and Guangdong; it will attract more industries to gather along the route, thereby promoting industry in Tibet, said Luo Mei, assistant to the chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Guangzhou-South Asia freight train will boost the development of Nepal’s’ economy, as well as exchanges between the two countries, said Gobinda Bahadur Karki, consul general of Nepal in Lhasa.