A freight train carrying auto parts, LED monitors, and various goods departed on Saturday from Xi’an in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province to Duisburg, Germany. This journey marks a major milestone, as more than 1,000 China-Europe freight trains have now operated under full timetable services.
Launched in October 2022, the full timetable system allows China-Europe trains to follow fixed schedules, with pre-set train numbers, routes, and specific departure and arrival times across multiple countries.
The network of fixed-timetable routes has expanded to 11, with 17 trains operating on a consistent weekly basis. As more scheduled trains are introduced, the China-Europe Railway Express is expected to become even more dependable.
These services are now favored for transporting high-value goods like photovoltaic panels, solar modules, and marine diesel engine components. According to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., the average value of each container transported via these trains is about 41 percent higher than through other services.
To date, over 98,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods have been shipped using full timetable China-Europe freight trains, according to the company.
China-Europe freight trains have become a key pillar of the Belt and Road Initiative, enhancing trade and connectivity between Asia and Europe. Currently, 128 Chinese cities are linked by these trains to 229 cities across 26 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian nations.
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