China-Europe Railway Express trips top 130,000

This photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Hamburg, Germany departing from Putian Railway Station in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The China-Europe Railway Express has made 130,000 trips by Saturday, marked by the departure of a freight train from Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, bound for Hamburg, Germany, at 10 a.m. local time.

Total cargo value has exceeded 520 billion U.S. dollars, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

The company said it has continuously optimized the operating routes of the China-Europe Railway Express over the years, designating 93 scheduled lines with a designed speed of 120 km per hour.

Currently, 129 Chinese cities operate China-Europe Railway Express services, connecting 235 cities in 26 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian nations, covering most of Eurasia.

Freight rates have fallen by over 40 percent since the launch of the service. The trains now transport more than 50,000 types of goods across 53 categories. Major export items include high-value products such as automobiles and auto parts, machinery, electronics, and electrical equipment, while imports to China via the service include European timber, pulp, specialty agricultural products and daily consumer goods.

A staff member checks cargoes on a China-Europe freight train in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, May 9, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

This photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a container being hoisted onto a China-Europe freight train in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Hamburg, Germany departing from Putian Railway Station in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Hamburg, Germany departing from Putian Railway Station in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

A drone photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Hamburg, Germany at Putian Railway Station in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

A drone photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Hamburg, Germany at Putian Railway Station in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Hamburg, Germany departing from Putian Railway Station in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)