China-Europe Railway Express: Two-Way Connectivity Fuels Regional Economic Growth

 

 

JINAN, Sept. 13 (China News Service) -- By Zhou Yiwei -- At a “Qilu Global Purchase” brick-and-mortar store in Jinan, Shandong, resident Huang Rong picked up a bottle of Serbian fruit wine and carefully checked the label. “Waiting months for European goods was the normal before,” Huang noted. “Now, direct rail links makes prices affordable, and we can even try them on the spot. It’s like having a ‘European market’ brought right to our doorstep.”

The China-Europe Railway Express, dubbed a “steel camel caravan” spanning across Asia and Europe, has not only created a new international freight corridor but also forged a two-way economic and trade bridge between China and Eurasian countries.

 

 

On September 11, a custom-made Shandong China-Europe freight train loaded with white cardboard, whistled its departure from the Dongjia Town Rail Freight Center in Jinan, Shandong, bound for St. Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Zhou Yiwei)

 

 

From the Dongjia Town Rail Freight Center in Jinan, Shandong China-Europe freight trains packed with home appliances, tires, automobiles, and machinery, set out for destinations including Russia and Hungary. Inbound trains, in turn, carry specialty goods such as Serbian fruit wine and Kazakh wheat flour.

“The China-Europe freight trains transport products ‘Made in China’ abroad and bring back ‘international premium goods’,” said Zhang Peng, General Manager of Shandong Hi-Speed Qilu International Dry Port Development Co., Ltd. He added that, as of now, Shandong China-Europe freight trains operate on 57 international routes. From January to August 2025, a total of 2,002 Shandong China-Europe freight train services were completed, with return journeys accounting for 46%, demonstrating smooth two-way connectivity.

Upon their arrive in Jinan, these overseas goods are distributed at the Shandong Hi-Speed Airport Comprehensive Bonded Logistics Park. According to Feng Can, General Manager of Shandong Hi-Speed Airport Logistics Development Co., Ltd., the park not only provides fundamental services such as bonded warehousing, cargo distribution, and customs declaration and clearance, but also incorporates one-stop trade services like cross-border e-commerce and supply chain finance. Goods can be directly sorted and labeled at the park, allowing them to be dispatched to major markets across China within a week.

Efficient logistics connections allow goods transported by freight trains to rapidly become retail products. Feng stated that some items in the “Qilu Global Purchase” physical stores are carried directly by China-Europe freight trains, covering more than a dozen categories including food, daily chemicals, and alcoholic beverages. Products can move from train arrival to shelf placement in as little as three days, halving the time compared to traditional sea shipping. Additionally, consumers can experience the products in-store before placing an order, significantly upgrading the shopping experience.

In recent years, China has been building an operational pattern of “corridor, hub, and network” for its China-Europe freight train services. This endeavor aims to foster an integrated development model spanning production, transportation, and trade.

"The China-Europe Railway Express transcend its role as a mere transportation artery; they are an economic corridor driving regional development,” said Sui Hongguang, an associate professor and head of the Department of International Economics and Trade at the School of Economics, Shandong University. He added that the railway express encourages a finer division of labor among countries and regions along its routes based on their respective factor endowments, thereby boosting production efficiency and stimulating consumer markets. It has become a crucial force in stabilizing global supply chains and promoting the open development of inland regions.

In Sui’s view, the “heavy outbound and return” capacity of the trains stems from a two-way market demand established between China and the countries and regions along the route. This reciprocal flow of consumer and intermediate products enables consumers to benefit from the convenience and dividends of globalization, while creating a large number of jobs and contributing a steady impetus to global trade.

 

 

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 Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of Chinanews. The Chinanews version shall prevail.