110,000 trips: China-Europe freight train service embraces new progress

JINAN, June 10 (Xinhua) -- The 110,000th China-Europe freight train departed from Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province on Tuesday morning, marking a milestone in the service's high-quality development.

Loaded with 55 containers of home appliances, including LCD monitors and refrigerators worth nearly 20 million yuan (about 2.78 million U.S. dollars), the train will exit China via northern Inner Mongolia's Erenhot Port, the largest land port on the China-Mongolia border, before arriving in Europe in 17 days, said Gao Yitian, an official from the Jiaozhou branch of Jinan Railway Logistics Center.

As a witness, Gao said that over the past decade, the China-Europe freight train service has expanded dramatically, not just in volume, but also in reach, cargo diversity, and efficiency. The international logistics network in Shandong has transported not only Chinese exports but also cross-border goods from Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Southeast Asian countries.

"I believe that these trains will continue to deliver more 'Made in China' products while providing better services for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and people there," Gao added.

According to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., the service has facilitated the transportation of goods with a cumulative value exceeding 450 billion U.S. dollars.

As of now, a total of 128 Chinese cities have launched China-Europe freight train service, reaching 229 cities in 26 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.

The range of goods transported by the China-Europe freight trains has also continued to diversify.

The service now carries products across 53 categories and over 50,000 varieties, with high-value-added goods such as auto parts, mechanical equipment, and electronic and electrical products becoming its primary export commodities. In 2024, these three categories accounted for more than 60 percent of the service's total exports.

Wang Shifeng, general manager of Xinglongsheng Logistics, which is a subsidiary of Chinese tire manufacturer Shandong Linglong Tire Co., Ltd., said the China-Europe freight train service is an ideal solution for international logistics.

"Its advantages, such as faster delivery, cost efficiency, scheduled departures and customized options, enable our key raw materials and machinery to reach our Serbian production base more efficiently," Wang said.

Beyond transporting conventional bulk commodities and consumer goods, the China-Europe freight trains now offer diversified, customized and specialized services to meet dynamic market demand.

"A dedicated cold-chain service plays a pivotal role in the global distribution of Shandong's premium agricultural products, particularly its fresh vegetables and seafood," said Shang Mingzhu, a manager with the Jinan branch of China Railway Container Transport Corp., Ltd.

Alona Toprak, managing director of DB Cargo Eurasia GmbH, which is a leading rail operator serving European countries including Germany, Poland, Austria and Hungary, said the train service provides customers with stable, efficient transportation that facilitates seamless trade flows of high-quality products between Europe and China.

Thanks to increasing service frequency, the company's business has expanded from traditional manufacturing sectors to emerging sectors such as green energy, new energy vehicles and cross-border e-commerce, she said. ■