Border town key port for trade with Europe

URUMQI — In the course of the past 10 years, Horgos Railway Port in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has become one of the busiest gateways for China-Europe freight trains, handling more than 19,000 train trips since the first train departed in March 2016.

Data from Horgos Railway Station show that the variety of goods transported via the port has expanded significantly, from daily necessities and textiles in the early days to over 200 categories currently, including mechanical and electrical equipment, new energy vehicles, electronics and agricultural products.

This expansion reflects ongoing optimization from "moving available goods" to "moving high-value goods."

"The China-Europe freight train service is our preferred logistics solution for reaching European markets, thanks to its speed, cost efficiency and reliability," said Zhang Yunyu, business manager of a local international freight forwarding company.

The company has so far been involved in over 2,000 freight train trips.

The steady growth in train volume at this port is underpinned by continuous improvements in customs clearance and operational efficiency. In recent years, Horgos has deepened port reforms and introduced an innovative model combining a "smart railway port" with localized fast-track clearance.

By coordinating resources across customs, border inspection and railway authorities, the port now synchronizes processes such as train disassembly, transshipment, inspection and release, boosting turnover efficiency by more than 20 percent.

The port also provides round-the-clock clearance services, streamlines transport procedures, moves document review forward in the workflow, and strengthens daily and weekly coordination with Kazakh railway authorities to address bottlenecks in cross-border transit.

"We fully leverage our production command center to ensure accurate train flow forecasting, seamless operational coordination and efficient transshipment, which allows us to reliably execute daily plans and keep trains moving smoothly," said Yang Jiming, a production dispatcher at the station's safety command center.

Customs procedures have been upgraded in parallel. Zhao Yuanfeng, deputy head of the third supervision division at Horgos Customs, noted that authorities have implemented supportive policies, integrated customs oversight into railway workflows, and set up dedicated service windows for China-Europe trains. Tailored solutions and green channels are also offered to expedite document checks, inspections and transshipment.

As a key railway hub in China's westward opening-up endeavors, Horgos has seen rapid growth in port-related industries, cross-border e-commerce and logistics, driven by the freight train network. What was once a remote border town is now steadily expanding its role in international trade, serving the development of the Belt and Road Initiative.