China-Europe freight trains fuel interconnectivity, global economy

 

 

XI'AN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- At an international forum on the China Railway Express on Tuesday, government officials, scholars, entrepreneurs and representatives of international organizations from home and abroad commended the freight train service's role in stabilizing global industrial and supply chains, and in boosting development.

Themed "Connecting Asia and Europe for a Shared Future," the second China Railway Express Cooperation Forum was held on Tuesday in Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tsoncho Ganev, vice president of the Bulgarian National Assembly, noted that the China-Europe freight train service is a critical artery of the global economy and has become a key pillar of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Ganev said the railway network promotes the digitalization of trade, enhances the efficiency of customs clearance, and builds economic corridors across regions. He added that the railway service has enabled Bulgaria to emerge as a gateway to the European market, and facilitated convenient access for Asian products to European markets and vice versa.

China-Europe freight trains have completed nearly 120,000 trips to date. They have transported nearly 12 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods and now serve 232 cities in 26 European countries, as well as more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries, according to the forum.

International logistics services provider TE Germany GmbH participated in the operation of the first China-Europe freight train, which departed from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality in 2011, bound for Duisburg, Germany.

"At the beginning, we only ran trains to Germany. But now, thanks to the development of the railway service over the past decade, our company has extended our services to other European countries," said Marcel Stein, the company's CEO.

As a flagship project and landmark brand of the BRI, China-Europe freight trains have created a comprehensive logistics network across Eurasia.

The value of goods transported by these trains had reached 426.4 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2024. From 2013 to 2024, the value of transported goods grew 33-fold, with the service's share in China-Europe trade rising from 0.4 percent to 8.5 percent, according to a report released at the forum.

Experts at the forum hailed the service's contribution to stabilizing international industrial and supply chains.

"Rail is increasingly proving its advantages for fast, stable, low-emission cargo corridors -- especially as global supply chains are being restructured, and demand for green logistics and carbon reduction continues to rise," said Nguyen Chinh Nam, deputy general director of Vietnam Railways Corporation.

Nguyen Chinh Nam noted that participating in the railway network allows Vietnam to embed itself more deeply into value chains in Asia and Europe, attract logistics investment, develop international logistics centers, and accelerate exports to Europe with shorter transit times and lower logistics costs.

tüken Senger, mayor of Kars in Türkiye, shared that sentiment, saying that regional logistics hubs are gaining new momentum under the BRI. By leveraging opportunities presented by the China-Europe freight train service, cities that position themselves as regional logistics hubs can attract investment, create jobs and enhance their resilience, he added.

The forum announced over 100 outcomes of cooperation in areas such as efficient transportation, security governance, diversified trade corridors, and the innovative development of the express service.

One such outcome was the agreed addition of seven China-Europe freight train routes that will operate on full timetables.

The forum was hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Transport, the General Administration of Customs, China State Railway Group and Shaanxi Provincial People's Government.

"To seize opportunities brought by China-Europe freight trains, collaboration -- across borders and industries -- is essential," Senger said. 

(Web editor: Huang Kechao, Liang Jun)