China-Europe freight train network marks major milestone

A freight train loaded with home appliances departed from Qingdao of East China's Shandong province on Tuesday morning, pushing the total number of China-Europe freight train trips past 110,000, according to the China State Railway Group, the service operator.

The train, carrying 55 containers filled with goods such as LCD displays and refrigerators valued at nearly 20 million yuan ($2.75 million), is bound for Moscow and expected to arrive in 17 days. It marked a major milestone for China-Europe rail services.

Since the services began in 2011, the cumulative value of goods transported via the China-Europe freight has exceeded $450 billion. As a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the service underscored the high demand and resilience of the rail link amid global logistics challenges.

So far, a total of 128 Chinese cities have launched China-Europe freight services, connecting to 229 cities across 26 European countries, as well as over 100 cities in 11 Asian nations. The rapidly expanding network has become a vital artery in global supply chains, offering a faster and more cost-effective alternative to sea freight.