This photo taken on Dec. 3, 2024 shows the 100,000th China-Europe freight train at Duisburg Intermodal Terminal (DIT) in Duisburg, Germany. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)
BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- On December 3, the arrival ceremony of the 100,000th China-Europe freight train was held in Duisburg, Germany. The train laden with electronic information products, vehicles and spare parts, mechanical industrial parts, and household appliances was welcomed by the crowd at the station.
In March 2011, the first Yuxin'ou (Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe) China-Europe freight train departed from Chongqing and carried homemade electronic products to Germany, marking the official launch of the grand land corridor for international trade directly linking China and Europe.
Starting from scratch, the China-Europe freight train service has been developing at a faster pace, promoting the high-level opening-up of China's inland regions, creating new opportunities for the development of countries along the railways, and ushering in a bright future of cooperation for a win-win situation.
-- Accelerating high-level opening-up of China's inland regions
Seeing off the China-Europe freight train departing the platform, Kang Qinbin, director of the international sales department of Chongqing Lifan Power Co., Ltd. said emotionally that they are among the first customers of the China-Europe freight train service, which has resolved their logistics bottleneck.
The mountainous city of Chongqing is a major manufacturing hub in China. In the past, however, its industrial products were difficult to access international markets due to logistics snags.
After the launch of the China-Europe freight train service, the transportation time of the company's products to Eastern Europe has been reduced by more than 50 percent, allowing the company to gain a firm foothold in the local market, according to Kang.
The commencement of the China-Europe freight train service has turned the inland regions of central and western China into a frontier of China's opening up to the outside world.
Leveraging the advantages of China-Europe freight trains, enterprises have become more deeply integrated into the global industrial landscape. From Chongqing's mechanical and electrical products to Jiangxi's daily necessities, over 50,000 types of merchandise across 53 categories have been loaded on this "steel camel caravan" and transported through mountains and deserts to 227 cities in 25 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.
"I truly feel that the exported goods have shifted from small commodities and daily necessities in the early stage of railway operation to those with high added-value such as electronic products and mechanical equipment," commented Feng Xubin, chairman of Yiwu TMEX Industrial Investment Co., Ltd. in Zhejiang Province.
-- Creating new chapter of Europe-Asia economic and trade exchanges
There is a nationally renowned Chinese-style garden in the Duisburg Zoo. Dozens of tons of ancient-style building materials, together with the "turtle, snake, and crane" bronze sculpture, a gift from China similar to the one at Yellow Crane Tower, were carried by China-Europe freight trains.
As an important stop of the China-Europe freight train service, Duisburg is gaining popularity, and the growing investments from all stakeholders bring a large number of job opportunities. China-Europe freight trains have built closer ties between China and Europe, and opened up a brand-new international transportation market to facilitate economic and trade exchanges, noted Markus Bangen, CEO of Duisburger Hafen AG.
Since the official launch in 2011, the China-Europe freight train service has benefited far more than China. The countries along the route of the China-Europe freight train service share the dividends of the Chinese market by exporting a great variety of goods, including automobiles from Germany, milk from Poland, cheese from the Netherlands, and flour from Kazakhstan.
New centers of logistics, industry, commerce, and trade are mushrooming in Europe and Asia along the route.
At Duisburg Port, China-Europe freight trains have attracted around 100 logistics companies to settle in, creating over 20,000 job opportunities. In Kazakhstan, the Agricultural Products Logistics and Processing Park of AIJU has further expanded the country's export of agricultural products through its interaction with China-Europe freight trains.
-- Heading towards new milestone through constant progress and innovation
On November 13, a China-Europe freight train laden with new energy vehicles departed from Chengdu International Railway Port. Unlike the conventional railway service, this train was reloaded onto a ferry at Aktau Port, Kazakhstan, sailed across the Caspian Sea, and finally arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia via railroad transportation.
It marked the launch of the China-Europe trans-Caspian direct express service this year. The route is another attempt by relevant countries to promote the high-quality and innovative development of China-Europe freight trains.
As a representative of European stakeholders, Duisburger Hafen AG has participated in the investment and construction of the trans-Caspian international transportation corridor.
"Given the growing demand from all parties for trade and circulation via China-Europe freight trains, we look forward to an increase in cargo turnover," said Bangen.
Transportation efficiency is the lifeline and core competitiveness of China-Europe freight trains, and the continuous improvements in infrastructure along the route have resulted in better efficiency and quality.
At the end of September, the newly-constructed comprehensive inspection yard at Alashankou Railway Station was completed and put into operation. Alashankou Railway Station has optimized its transportation organization plans, reduced non-operational time, and fully unleashed its transportation potential.
In June this year, China-Europe freight trains (Chongqing-Duisburg) successfully realized dual-way connectivity with timetables covering the entire journey.
The release of timetables that cover the entire journey effectively solves issues such as uncertain running time and excessive stops in the past when the trains passed through various countries, said Dong Hui, deputy director of the freight transport department of China State Railway Group, adding that the current timetables cover multiple routes, providing customers with reliable expectations regarding time and efficiency, and thus attracting significant volumes of high value-added cargo.
The record of 100,000 trains is just the beginning, and China-Europe freight trains will embrace a brighter future, noted Li Chao, spokesperson of the National Development and Reform Commission.
According to Li, China will accelerate the expansion of the international collaboration network, actively participate in the construction of the trans-Caspian international transportation corridor, focus on building the "channel + pivot + network" operation structure, and develop an integrated development pattern of industry, transportation, and trade, so as to boost the safe, stable, and high-quality development of the China-Europe freight train service. (Edited by Yang Yifan with Xinhua Silk Road, yangyifan@xinhua.org)
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