A China-Europe freight train prepares to depart for Barcelona of Spain, in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on April 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The number of China-Europe freight trains hit a new high of 1,033 in May, up 43 percent year on year, the China State Railway Group said Friday.
A record 93,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo were transported by the trains, up 48 percent from a year earlier.
The number of departing trains rose 47 percent year on year to 556 last month, while the number of returning trains climbed 39 percent to 477.
China-Europe cargo train services have become an important logistics channel to ensure smooth trade flows as air, sea and road transportation have been severely affected by the novel coronavirus epidemic.
The freight trains have also been playing a crucial role in helping with the fight against the pandemic in Europe, sending massive quantities of medical supplies such as face masks and goggles.
In May, anti-epidemic supplies totaling 1.2 million items and weighing 9,381 tonnes were sent by the freight trains to European countries such as Poland, Italy, Spain and France. ■