Liaozhong Customs: "Smart Oversight" Propels China-Europe Freight Trains Through Silk Road

By Correspondent Li Wenxiao

In the early morning at the China-Europe Railway Express (Shenyang) Assembly Center, the arms of gantry cranes pierce through the lingering fog as forklifts systematically load cargo. Launched in 2017, the China-Europe Railway Express (Shenyang) has developed into the most extensive route in Northeast China. It has successfully scaled up operations from "one train per week" to "two trains per day on average," establishing itself as a "golden conduit" driving the opening-up of the region to the outside world. As of now, the China-Europe Railway Express (Shenyang) operates across a "three corridors, six ports" route network, with over 3,800 cumulative departures, serving more than 2,000 businesses.

The China-Europe Railway Express (Shenyang) has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, evolving from limited routes, low cargo volumes, and a singular commodity type to now handling more than 5,000 types of goods with an annual import and export value exceeding1 billion yuan, reaching more than 20 countries and 50 cities. This rapid development would not have been possible without the empowering and efficiency-boosting role of Customs' "smart oversight."

Liaozhong Customs, operating under Shenyang Customs, has implemented a range of technological "micro-innovations." These initiatives are grounded in the practical "personnel, declaration, and cargo" checks performed on the front lines, and are specifically designed to address companies' pain points and regulatory bottlenecks, thereby injecting technological momentum into the development of freight train services.

Confronted with container stacks exceeding five meters in height, Lu Zhiyao, Chief of Section II at Liaozhong Customs, uses a "fishing rod"-style inspection device. Its telescoping mechanism allows direct access to the uppermost third layer of containers. An industrial endoscope camera, positioned at the device's tip, slowly extends to capture and transmit container numbers and other vital information in real time to a connected tablet.

"This 'Smart Eye Inspection' device, independently developed by our frontline officers, effectively resolves issues like difficult seal verification on high-stacked containers and the high risks associated with unpacking precision equipment," Lu explained. "It can reduce the time required for container seal inspection by 93% per container."

The "Smart Eye Inspection" device has significantly enhanced single-point inspection capabilities, complemented by the broader smart integration across the entire China-Europe Railway Express (CR Express) train process. Within the Customs supervision area of the China-Europe Railway Express (Shenyang) Assembly Center, officers remotely monitor yard operations and company cargo loading by enterprises through the "Railway Customs Clearance Cross-Departmental Information Interconnection" system. This system seamlessly integrates date from Customs, railway authorities, and companies, providing real-time visibility into the complete journey of containers, from their arrival at the yard to final loading onto trains. This smart platform, fostering data flow and operational synergy, has effectively streamlined and accelerated customs clearance for the CR Express.

Historically, companies faced the cumbersome task of visiting multiple windows and coordinating extensively with railway yards and Customs for cargo loading and unloading. Today, with logistics information barriers completely dismantled, an automated system enables "single declaration, end-to-end visibility," significantly cutting transportation costs for companies while improving regulatory effectiveness.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China deliberated and approved the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, charting a new blueprint for the nation's development over the next five years. "With the blueprint set, it is time for dedicated action," stated Lu Zhiyao. "We will earnestly study and implement the guiding principles from the plenary session, focusing on the development of the Northeast land-sea corridor. By leveraging innovation and technological empowerment, we aim to ensure the safe and smooth operation of the vital railway arteries. Furthermore, we will continuously advance smart port construction through 'micro-innovations' at the primary level, thereby supporting the high-quality development of the CR Express and contributing to the high-quality joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative."