This aerial photo shows a China Railway Express train departing from the Chengdu International Railway Port, June 30, 2022. (Xinhua)
At a time when the world sets sights on sustainable development, the China Railway Express that traverses Eurasia is also undergoing a profound green transformation. Its long tracks have proven that the path of development and the path of ecological protection can be one and the same.
"The China Railway Express has possessed green genes since its inception," said Martin Koubek, director of the Silk Road division at METRANS Group of the Czech Republic. Rail transport is inherently an environmentally friendly means of transport, as a train carrying 55 forty-foot containers has much lower carbon emissions than from the same amount of cargo transported by trucks, he said.
By the end of 2024, the electrification rate of China's railways had increased to 75.8 percent. The China Railway Express has been a particular standout in this green transition. With the continued electrification of rail facilities along the route and the use of clean transport tools, such as new-energy container trucks, for cargo collection and distribution, the green hallmark of this "steel camel caravan" across Eurasia is becoming more salient.
The green story of the China Railway Express extends beyond its own operations. Green and low-carbon products, such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic equipment, are transported to countries and regions along the route, forming a perfect combination of green manufacturing and green logistics that amplifies the emission reduction effect across the entire life cycle.
A special CRE train carrying photovoltaic modules from LONGi Green Energy is ready to depart from Xi'an International Port Station for Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Aug. 3, 2023. (Xinhua)
The special train for photovoltaic modules from Xi'an to Tashkent is a perfect example. On Aug. 3, 2023, a freight train carrying 20-megawatt photovoltaic modules of LONGi Green Energy whistled out of Xi'an and headed for Uzbekistan. This batch of modules was the first shipment for Uzbekistan's 1-gigawatt photovoltaic project, all using LONGi Hi-MO 7 products. Once completed, the project is expected to generate 2.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equivalent to reducing natural gas consumption by 588 million cubic meters a year. This will significantly alleviate the local energy structure's reliance on fossil fuels, bringing tangible carbon reduction benefits.
Today, the China Railway Express links the green endeavors of the Eurasian continent, jointly pursuing green development through an endless stream of containers. These green tracks converge to form a vivid picture of green energy cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
While promoting its own green breakthroughs and driving green development along the route, the China Railway Express is also continuously integrating the concept of sustainable development into the practice of all parties involved.
This aerial photo shows a China Railway Express train departing from Wujiashan Station in the central Chinese city of Wuhan for Belgrade, Serbia, May 9, 2020. (Xinhua)
On Aug. 13, 2025, the first zero-carbon green train from China's central region departed from a station in the city of Wuhan. Loaded with auto parts and daily necessities, it traveled westward to Hamburg and Duisburg in Germany.
This zero-carbon train was jointly created by Hubei Port Group's Wuhan Asia-Europe Logistics Co., Ltd. and Germany's DB Cargo AG. Its core feature is the use of 100-percent green electricity to power the train in electrified sections. For non-electrified sections, the remaining emissions are offset through Gold Standard-certified carbon offset projects established by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), achieving zero carbon emissions during the train's operation.
The first zero-carbon green train in China's central region departs from the city of Wuhan, Aug. 13, 2025. (Hubei Port Group's Wuhan Asia-Europe Logistics Co., Ltd.)
The launch of the zero-carbon train achieves carbon neutrality across the entire chain, drastically reducing the logistics carbon footprint. It is not just a vivid practice of green principles but also a new solution for the sustainable development of the global supply chain.
The success of the train's launch is inseparable from policy coordination between China and Europe in carbon governance. The carbon offset standard adopted by the train meets both the WWF's Gold Standard and the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism requirements, tackling the entrenched carbon accounting silos that have plagued companies for years. Data from DB Cargo Eurasia shows that this mechanism can reduce cross-border carbon compliance costs for Chinese and European companies by about 30 percent. This practice of standard mutual recognition lays an important foundation for deepening green cooperation among all parties.
With resounding whistles and clanging wheels, the green journey of the China Railway Express is unfolding like a constantly growing vine, sowing the seeds of sustainable development in the fertile lands of the Eurasian continent. (By Hu Pingchao and Chen Cong)
A single purchase
