As a new year begins, everything takes on a new look. The first China-Europe freight train from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) departed on the morning of January 1 from Zengcheng West Station, the rail-road intermodal hub in eastern Guangzhou. Under the supervision of Zengcheng Customs, a subordinate office of Huangpu Customs, the train will exit China via Khorgos Port and is expected to arrive in Małaszewicze, Poland in 14 days.
Under the supervision of Zengcheng Customs, the first China-Europe freight train of 2026 from the GBA departs from Zengcheng West Station in Guangzhou. Photo by Zhang Hailong
The train carries 110 standard containers with cargo valued at approximately 20 million yuan, mainly comprising electronics, daily necessities, and textiles manufactured in the GBA. As one of the key hubs connecting the region to Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partners, Zengcheng West Station ranks among the leading freight train dispatchers in Guangdong. The station currently operates 14 outbound and 8 inbound routes, serving 34 cities across 17 countries in Europe, Central Asia, and ASEAN. The inaugural 2026 service continues the station's strong track record in international freight operations and further demonstrates the resilience and dynamism of the GBA's foreign trade sector.
To ensure the smooth dispatch of the new year's inaugural freight train, Zengcheng Customs, given the characteristics of diverse cargo types and dispersed origins, proactively coordinated with enterprises on cargo preparation and consolidation schedules and leveraged the dedicated service window for China-Europe freight trains to provide full-process tracking services. Accounting for the pre-holiday shipping surge and concentrated customs clearance, Zengcheng Customs assigned dedicated personnel to monitor operations and guided enterprises to employ facilitated modes including "advance declaration," "appointment-based inspection," and expedited railway clearance, enabling rapid inspection and release upon cargo arrival and ensuring timely consolidation and on-schedule dispatch of all containers.
"This shipment comprises diverse cargo types with concentrated delivery schedules, demanding high customs clearance efficiency," said Lin Yueyue, Head of Train Operations Department at GCI International Train Operation Management Co., Ltd. "With coordinated support from customs and railway departments, we achieved rapid cargo consolidation, inspection and release, and loading, reducing the overall customs clearance time by two days. Going forward, we will continue to enhance logistics organization efficiency, leveraging the China-Europe Railway Express as a stable channel to help more GBA-made products reach international markets efficiently."
Steel caravans press on relentlessly. Standing at a new starting point, Zengcheng Customs will continue to optimize the port's business environment, support China-Europe freight trains departing from Zengcheng West Station in expanding volume and improving quality, elevate the hub's capabilities, and facilitate more enterprises in making joint contribution to BRI markets through international freight train logistics channels.
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of xuexi.cn. The xuexi.cn version shall prevail.
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