A China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight train Photo: CCTV News

China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight train services passing through Alashankou railway port in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have exceeded 6,000 trips so far this year, after a train loaded with electromechanical equipment, new-energy components and daily necessities departed Alashankou Railway Station for Małaszewicze, Poland, at 5 pm on Wednesday, CCTV News reported.

The milestone was reached 41 days earlier than last year, underscoring the continued acceleration of cross-border logistics through the port.

Since the beginning of the year, Alashankou authorities have worked with railway, customs and border inspection departments to establish a coordinated operating mechanism. The fastest customs clearance time for freight trains at the port has been shortened to less than four hours, significantly improving cross-border logistics efficiency, according to CCTV News.

Alashankou Port is one of the major westbound gateways for China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight trains. A total of 129 routes now operates through the railway port, connecting 21 countries including Germany and Poland. The range of goods transported has expanded to more than 200 categories, including electromechanical equipment, new-energy products, auto parts and daily necessities.

Recently, China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight train services have also recorded growth at Horgos, another major cross-border port in Xinjiang region.

On August 23, a China-Europe freight train loaded with machinery, auto parts and home appliances departed the Horgos railway port, bringing the number of China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight trains passing through the port this year to more than 6,000, with cargo throughput exceeding 10 million tons.

To date, 91 China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight train routes pass through the Horgos railway port, connecting 18 countries and regions and carrying more than 200 categories of goods.

Over the past decade, China-Europe freight train services have completed more than 130,000 trips carrying goods worth more than $520 billion, Liang Linchong, director-general of the Department of Regional Opening-up of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at a press conference in Beijing in July, as the rail link increasingly serves as a buffer against volatility in global shipping.

Whenever sea routes between Asia and Europe are disrupted or international supply chains face shocks, the freight trains become an important option for companies at home and abroad, Liang said.

Global Times