On November 28th, at the International Railway Port in Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu, the X8086 China Europe freight train is about to depart. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xi

Chengdu, November 28 (Xinhua) -- The 120000 train honks and departs! The China Europe freight train writes a new chapter in Asia Europe connectivity

Xinhua News Agency reporters Xue Chen and Fan Xi

The Silk Road runs from east to west, and the trains connect mountains and seas.

At 12:13 on November 28th, Chengdu International Railway Port. The X8086 China Europe freight train, loaded with 55 containers, sounded its horn and set off for Malaszewicz, Poland. So far, the China Europe freight train has operated more than 120000 trains and sent goods worth over 490 billion US dollars, taking high-quality development to a new level.

On November 28th, the X8086 China Europe freight train departed from the International Railway Port in Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xi

From the initial "trial operation" to the current cumulative operation of over 120000 trains, from several pilot channels to basic coverage of the entire Asia Europe region, a series of China Europe freight trains run on the steel artery, connecting the industrial chain and supply chain, and witnessing a new chapter of China's joint development with countries along the route.

Wider channels——

The denser the channels and the wider the network, the solid foundation for the China Europe freight train to achieve a "new speed".

In China, 94 routes with a speed of 120 kilometers per hour are planned to traverse the three major channels in the west, middle and east, passing through six major ports, including Alataw Pass and Khorgos; Outside of China, the parallel development of the North, Central, and South Lines provides more options for countries along the route to explore new markets and integrate into new channels.

The development of multimodal transportation between rail and sea, rail and public transportation is flourishing, connecting East Asia and Southeast Asia to the east, and the Baltic Sea and Black Sea to the west. The "smooth, efficient, and multi-directional extension" channel pattern is becoming increasingly mature, providing strong support for the expansion and density improvement of China Europe freight trains.

At present, China Europe Express has reached 232 cities in 26 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. One by one, "steel ties" have expanded the circle of friends to jointly build the "the Belt and Road".

On November 28th, the X8086 China Europe freight train departed from the International Railway Port in Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xi

Higher efficiency——

The connection of channels requires good transportation and utilization.

The head of the freight department of China Railway Group introduced that in recent years, the organization of China Europe freight trains has continued to innovate. The maximum formation of the train with a speed of 120 kilometers per hour has increased to 55 cars, with a towing capacity of 3000 tons and a 10% increase in transportation capacity.

Clearance is faster. The 95306 "Digital Port" system collaborates with the "Railway Express" model to shorten the clearance time from half a day to within 30 minutes, with the fastest being just a few minutes. Port clearance realizes the principle of "reporting upon arrival and release upon reporting".

The role of the assembly center is highlighted. The proportion of trains operating in 14 assembly centers across the country has reached 87%, promoting the transformation from "point-to-point" to "hub to hub". China Railway Group actively participates in the construction of the Trans Caspian International Transport Corridor and deepens practical cooperation with overseas railway, logistics, port, and freight forwarding enterprises.

Better service——

With the continuous enhancement of specialized transportation capabilities. The categories of goods transported by the China Europe freight train have expanded to 53 categories and over 50000 types of goods, with high value-added goods such as automotive parts, mechanical equipment, and electronic and electrical products becoming the main sources of supply. Relying on technological standards and innovative transportation capacity, the railway department has successfully solved the safety problems of railway transportation for new energy vehicles and consumer lithium batteries, allowing Chinese made "new three" such as new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products to take the China Europe freight train to the world.

Previously, our smart meters were shipped by sea to Europe, which took over 60 days. Now, through the China Europe freight train, it only takes about 30 days, which has won time and shipping efficiency for enterprises. "The person in charge of Chengdu Great Wall Development Technology Co., Ltd. introduced that the company" takes "the China Europe freight train to deliver smart meters to various European countries.

On November 28th, the X8086 China Europe freight train departed from the International Railway Port in Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu (drone photo). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xi

Drive stronger——

The China Europe freight train not only facilitates logistics, but also activates the economy.

The inland areas have leveraged the opportunity to go global, and the industrial agglomeration effect has become apparent. Chongqing's outward oriented industries have an average annual growth rate of about 30%; Xi'an attracts the relocation of the billion dollar electronic information industry to the west.

The TCL processing plant located in Łó d ź, Poland, has formed close cross continental cooperation with the Chengdu production base. Local workers efficiently assemble the core components from Chengdu, and a TV supply chain connecting China and Europe runs efficiently.

The small Polish border town of Malaszewicz has risen to become an EU logistics hub; Duisburg, Germany has attracted hundreds of logistics companies to settle down due to the China Europe freight train, creating over 20000 new job opportunities. New business models such as "train+supermarket" benefit people's livelihoods, and Spanish red wine, Dutch cheese, and Chinese smart home appliances have entered millions of households.

The sound of steam whistle drives the strong pulsation of the "Steel Silk Road"; Rolling wheels measure the depth of resonance between China and the world at the same frequency. This steel artery beats the pulse of openness and win-win times, injecting inexhaustible power into the common prosperity of the Eurasian continent.

Editor: Tang Yun