Alashankou Port Sees Record-Breaking 8,000-Plus China-Europe and China-Central Asia Freight Trains in 2025

According to Alashankou Customs, 8,165 China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight trains transited through Alashankou Port, also known as Alataw Pass, in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 6.3%. This marks the first time the volume of such trains passing through the port of entry has exceeded 8,000, setting a new historical record.

Of the 8,165 China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight trains that transited Alashankou Port in 2025, 6,408 were China-Europe trains, ranking first among all ports of entry nationwide. This once again underscores the port's strategic importance as a key gateway for China's westward opening-up.

This impressive performance is closely tied to continuous improvements in the port's customs clearance environment and efficiency. In 2025, Alashankou Customs advanced the "smart railway port plus local expedited clearance" model, significantly streamlining customs procedures through information-based and intelligent technologies. Meanwhile, the "port plus hinterland" coordinated model has been actively piloted, effectively alleviating operational pressure at the railway facility and extending clearance convenience from the border port to inland regions, thereby enhancing the transit efficiency of freight trains.

Sophia Umarjan, Deputy Section Chief of the Comprehensive Business Section I at Alashankou Customs, stated that in 2025, the port's single-day maximum freight train throughput reached a record high of 30 trains, while overall customs clearance time was compressed by 18.4% compared to 2024.

"The substantial growth in freight train throughput reflects coordinated efforts across departments and continuous process optimization," said Chen Zhibin, Director of the Operations Workshop at Alashankou Railway Station under China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd. "Through targeted coordination with Kazakhstan's railway authorities and scientific production planning, we can complete the transshipment of a return freight train in an average of two hours."

To date, China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight trains transiting Alashankou Port operate on 128 routes, reaching 21 countries and carrying over 200 types of commodities including auto parts, electronic products, and consumer goods. (Chen Qiangwei)

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