The number of China-Europe freight trains passing through the railway port of Manzhouli in north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region has topped 1,100, China Central Television (CCTV) news channel reported Monday.

(Photo/CCTV.com)

With a China-Europe freight train leaving Manzhouli for Russia on May 23, the number of China-Europe freight trains running through Manzhouli, the largest land port on the China-Russia border, exceeded 1,100, up 11 percent year on year, according to China Railway Harbin Group Co., Ltd.

There are currently 52 China-Europe freight train routes linking China with Europe via the railway port of Manzhouli, bringing increasing varieties of goods, such as daily necessities, industrial machinery, metals, chemical products and food, from 60 Chinese cities to 13 countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Russia.

China-Europe freight trains have become important transport links between China, Europe, and countries along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during worldwide prevention and control measures put in place to curb the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Manzhouli railway port has worked closely with local authorities such as customs and immigration inspection agencies to coordinate the relevant work with Russian railway authorities, said Yang Junjin, manager of the freight transport workshop at Manzhouli port.

Joint efforts have been made by both sides to continuously optimize transportation plans and operation procedures, adjust staff shifts, make full use of the digitalized port’s paperless customs clearance system and constantly improve transfer efficiency of notes so as to reduce customs clearance time via “one-stop” services and measures to realize seamless connection between the various procedures, Yang explained.