China-Europe freight trains on full timetables surpass 1,000 trips

BEIJING -- A freight train loaded with auto components, LED monitors and other goods on Saturday departed from Xi'an, a city in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, bound for Duisburg in Germany, marking a significant milestone as the number of China-Europe freight trains operating on full timetables has now exceeded 1,000.

The full timetable service, first launched in October 2022, enables China-Europe freight trains to run according to pre-arranged schedules, including designated train numbers, routes, departure times and arrival times across countries along the route.

To date, the number of routes operating under fixed timetables has expanded to 11, featuring 17 trains running on a regular weekly schedule. With more fixed timetable trains added to the schedule, the China-Europe Railway Express is expected to deliver its cargo with even greater reliability.

This service has also become a preferred option for transporting high-value-added goods, including photovoltaic panels, solar modules and marine diesel engine parts. Notably, the average value per container transported by these trains is approximately 41 percent higher than that of other services, according to the China State Railway Group Co, Ltd.

Currently, over 98,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo have been transported via full timetable China-Europe freight trains, the company said.

China-Europe freight trains have evolved into a cornerstone of the Belt and Road Initiative -- promoting trade and connectivity between Europe and Asia. At present, a total of 128 Chinese cities have launched China-Europe freight train services, reaching 229 cities in 26 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.