A drone photo shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Budapest, Hungary before departure at Tuanjiecun Station in Chongqing, southwest China, Nov. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

The China-Europe Railway Express carried out 3,501 freight trips in the first two months of this year, carrying 352,000 20-foot equivalent units of goods, up 32 percent and 25 percent year-on-year, respectively, according to data released on Thursday by China State Railway Group Co.

The brisk uptick came as China posted double-digit growth in trade with the EU.

Underscoring resilience and complementarity amid global turmoil, trade between China and the EU surged 19.9 percent year-on-year to 998.94 billion yuan ($144.54 billion), outpacing the rise of 18.3 percent in China's total foreign trade during the period, data from China's General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.

Since the beginning of 2026, railway authorities have strengthened coordination and  improved the operation of the China-Europe freight train service, optimizing scheduling to better align with market demand, said the China State Railway Group Co in a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday.

Strong logistics demand has also been noted by freight forwarders, railway bureaus, customs offices, and media reports across multiple regions.

At Alashankou Port in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the number of China-Europe freight trains and China-Central Asia freight trains increased by 24.1 percent year-on-year to reach 1,498 as of March 5, the China Railway Urumqi Bureau Group told the Global Times on Thursday. 

The data demonstrates the strong growth achieved by the China-Europe Railway Express at the start of the year, with both quantity and quality improving, Sun Chuanwang, a professor at the School of Economics at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

This achievement reflects both the continued robust demand in markets along the China-Europe route and in Europe, and is strong evidence of the continuously strengthening comprehensive advantages of the China-Europe Railway Express in terms of timeliness, stability and cost, Sun said.

This successful start is not only a direct reflection of the resilience of the nation's foreign trade sector, but also lays a solid foundation for high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative throughout the year, the expert said, noting that the China-Europe Railway Express has become one of the preferred channels for international land logistics, showcasing the further integration of China's foreign trade vitality and the resilience of the global supply chain.

The state railway operator said it will accelerate the establishment of a high-efficiency transport system, a safety management framework, a diversified corridor network, and an innovation-driven development mechanism for the China-Europe Railway Express.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference on June 13, 2025 that routes of the China-Europe Railway Express had been launched in 128 cities in China, reaching 229 cities in 26 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. 

With freight trains departing every 30 minutes or less on average, the China-Europe Railway Express operates in an efficient, stable and smooth manner, not only bridging economic and trade exchanges between Asia and Europe, but also injecting forces for growth to BRI participating countries, Lin said.