The high-profile freight train service between China and Europe, supported by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), achieved another significant milestone by completing its 90,000th trip on May 25, underscoring its crucial role in stabilizing global supply chains and driving economic development along the route. A freight train loaded with 55 containers carrying a diverse range of goods, including LCD monitors, auto parts, clothing and daily necessities, departed on May 25 from Xian in Shaanxi province, marking the 90,000th trip, according to the China State Railway Group, the operator of the service. The train will travel westward, exiting China through the Horgos border port in Xinjiang, and pass through Kazakhstan and Russia before reaching Malaszewicze in Poland in about 15 days.
Since 2011, the freight train service has transported over 8.7 million containers with goods valued at more than USD380 billion, the operator said. The remarkable growth of the service reflects strong market demand. A freight train is more cost-effective than sending cargo by air and more reliable than transporting goods by sea, serving as a strategic and viable option for international freight. The annual number of trips on the China-Europe freight train route surged from a few dozen at the beginning to over 17,000 last year. Between 2016 and 2023, the annual number of China-Europe freight train trips increased from 1,702 to over 17,000, representing nearly tenfold growth with an average annual growth rate of 39.5%.
From the first freight trip to the 10,000th took 90 months, while from the 80,000th trip to the 90,000th required only seven months. In 2016, the annual value of goods transported on the route was USD8 billion, which soared to USD56.7 billion last year. This rapid development signifies the increasing acceptance and recognition of the service by customers in China and abroad. So far, China-Europe freight train services reach 223 cities in 25 European countries, connecting more than 100 cities in Asia, the China Daily reports.
