China-Europe freight train trips hit 100,000, boosting cross-border connectivity and efficiency

On November 15, a freight train carrying a variety of goods left Tuan Jie Cun railway station, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Duisburg, Germany, marking a major milestone as the total number of China-Europe freight train trips exceeded 100,000. (Zhang Yiyi/GT)

On Friday morning a freight train carrying a variety of goods left Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Duisburg, Germany, marking a major milestone as the total number of China-Europe freight train trips exceeded 100,000.

So far, China-Europe freight trains have shipped over 11 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), valued at over $420 billion, according to China State Railway Group Co (China Railway).

The China-Europe freight trains now transport over 50,000 types of goods across 53 categories, with the share of high-tech and high-value-added products increasing annually.

"Over the years, the China-Europe freight trains have significantly boosted cross-border connectivity and economic exchanges by enhancing transport efficiency, shortening delivery times, and facilitating the seamless flow of goods, particularly among Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries," Sun Zhang, a railway expert at Shanghai Tongji University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"As one of the five major hubs of the China-Europe freight trains, Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, has served 15,000 companies worldwide until now," Wang Weikun, vice general manager of Chengdu International Railway Service Co, told the Global Times on Friday.

"Through cold-chain logistics, agricultural products from Sichuan and Chongqing are being exported, while fruits, meat, and other goods from regions like Southeast Asia are making their way to Chinese consumers' tables," Wang added.

To meet rising transport demands, the China-Europe freight trains have also introduced express routes. "Chengdu launched an express China-Europe Railway route last June, running at up to 120 km/h, reaching Europe in about 10 days - five days faster than regular routes," Guan Yu, manager of International Transport Department of China Railway Container Transport Co Chengdu Branch, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"This service prioritizes high-value goods like lithium batteries and photovoltaic products, with no added cost," Guan said.

"Each carriage is equipped with an e-lock for real-time tracking, with Chinese and foreign railway bureaus along the route coordinating to monitor its path to ensure punctuality," Guan added.

(Photo/GT)

Some goods transported by China-Europe freight trains are directly delivered to Chengdu-Eurasia National (Commodity) Pavilion. "A significant volume of French wine has been imported via the rail, with each bottle featuring a QR code for traceability," Shi Ruifeng, the founder of the French pavilion of Chengdu-Eurasia National (Commodity) Pavilion, told the Global Times on Friday.

He said that through the China-Europe freight trains, the customs clearance efficiency, transportation speed, and stability of wine shipments have all improved.

"The steady rise in the return cargo ratio of return trips shows the positive development of 'two-way' transport and also reflects the improved planning for China's international trade," Sun added.

The trains afford new opportunities for China's central and western areas, Sun said. "The launch of China-Europe freight trains enhanced connectivity between central and western China and Europe, with customs now established in Chinese inland cities. This has boosted trade flows, balancing economic growth with the eastern coastal areas."

There are now 93 scheduled China-Europe Railway Express routes operating at 120 km/h within China's railway network, connecting 125 domestic cities. The service reaches 227 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries, covering nearly the entire Eurasian continent.

Between 2016 and 2023, the number of China-Europe freight train trips surged nearly tenfold, from 1,702 to over 17,000 annually. The value of goods transported grew dramatically, from $8 billion in 2016 to $56.7 billion in 2023, with value this year already surpassing $58 billion.