China launches several new international freight train routes in 2022

They also save labour, and are safer and more efficient than normal ocean shipping.

The first China-Vietnam freight train route linking northwest China’s Shaanxi province to Vietnam became operable in August. Earlier in March 2022, a freight train left Guoyuan port in Chongqing municipality for Hanoi, launching a new freight train route between China and Vietnam. The route, a part of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, shortens the transport time to four to five days.

The first international freight train running via the China-Laos Railway, from China’s Liaoning province departed on April 22 from provincial capital Shenyang for Vientiane, loaded with 25 forty-foot containers of cargo. The operation of the freight train service marked the beginning of the trade via railway between northeast China and countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, according to the China Railway Shenyang Group Co. Ltd.

In August, a freight train carrying over 1,000 tonnes of goods with a combined market value of 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) left the city of Wuxi in east China’s Jiangsu province, headed for Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The new train service linking east China’s Wuxi with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan reduces the time taken compared to sea route transport by at least 20 days. 

A new cargo train carrying 50 containers departed on January 12 from Urad Back banner (division) in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which arrived in Moscow in about 10 days. After a few days on January 18, a new cargo train to Moscow departed from Quanzhou in Fujian Province. Both the trains were the first China-Europe freight trains from the cities. The Urad Back banner in the city of Bayannur is a significant hub connecting China and Mongolia and a node city of the new Silk Road Economic Belt. Quanzhou is an important starting point on the Maritime Silk Road.

In June, a cross-Caspian international freight train departed from Yinchuan in China’s Ningxia autonomous region to Anzali in Iran. It crossed border from the Horgos port in Xinjiang, and crossed the Caspian Sea through Kazakhstan to reach Anzali. The launch of the train opened up a new international logistics channel for Ningxia to cross the Caspian Sea into West Asian countries for the first time, which is of great significance to promoting economic and trade exchanges between Ningxia and Iran, official Chinese media reported.

The first China-Europe freight train from Shanghai to Central Asia departed on July 28, 2022. The train reached Almaty, Kazakhstan, carrying over 980 tonnes of goods, according to Shanghai Customs.

In August, a freight train carrying 100 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers left Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui province, for Budapest, Hungary, marking the first trip between the two cities.

A new China-Europe freight train service started from Jinhua in east China’s Zhejiang province to reach Venlo in the Netherlands. The first train on the route departed on July 20. The service is expected to boost the textile-apparel trade between the two countries.

A new freight train connecting Germany’s Mannheim and China’s Qingda—a distance of around 12,300 km—was also launched. The first train on the line—loaded with 100 standard containers—set off from Qingdao on February 18 and it arrived in the German city after 22 days, according to operator China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO).

Earlier in January, A new China-Europe freight train route started between Suzhou city in east China’s Jiangsu Province and Milan in Italy to transport goods. The first train linking the two cities completed the trip in 25 days.

Additionally, in September 2022, 25 new freight train routes passing through the Alataw Pass, a major land port in Northwest China’s autonomous Xinjiang Uygur region, were introduced. The pass enables the trade of goods including cotton yarn, clothing, and accessories. With the launching of these additional routes, the total number of China-Europe freight train routes through the Alataw Pass have increased to 90.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RKS)