China-Europe freight train runs hit a record high in January-February, up 96%

At 9:00 on the 3rd, a China-Europe train loaded with general merchandise, electronic equipment and other items drove out of the Alashankou Railway Port Station, marking that the number of China-Europe trains entering and leaving the country through Alashankou Station this year has exceeded 1,000, 72 days earlier than last year, a year-on-year increase of 72%. Since last year, the China-Europe train has played its advantages of safety and efficiency, continuously opened up new businesses and added new routes, and the cargo entering and leaving the country through Alashankou and Horgos has continued to grow.

It's not just Xinjiang. According to a report by China National Railway Group, from January to February this year, a total of 2,213 freight trains were sent between Chinese and European cities, a year-on-year increase of 96%, and the freight volume reached 209,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 106%. According to the director of Yiwu West Station Port Customs, from January to February this year, Yiwu has sent 200 China-Europe trains to European cities, a year-on-year increase of 336%, which is related to some of the backlog of goods that could not be delivered last year.

In January this year, 1,165 China-Europe freight trains were launched, transporting 109,000 standard containers of goods. The number of trains and the amount of goods shipped increased by 66% and 73% year-on-year respectively, maintaining the record of running more than 1,000 trains in a single month for nine consecutive months.

A researcher at the China Academy of Railway Economic Planning said that the China-Europe Express is a landmark logistics channel of the "Belt and Road" and has been growing rapidly since 2020. Due to the shortage of containers caused by the squeeze on foreign ports, shipping costs have risen sharply, while the transportation time and cost of the China-Europe Express are relatively stable.

In addition, the types of goods transported by China-Europe trains have changed from mainly personal protective equipment in 2020 to other daily necessities, such as household appliances and clothing. At the same time, as the record number of cross-border trains continues to be broken, more requirements have been placed on the supporting capabilities of related services.

Currently, China Railway is expanding the facilities at border ports such as Horgas and Erenhot. However, since cross-border transportation also involves many foreign partners, it requires the cooperation of domestic and foreign companies. It is reported that China Railway has promised to organize a video conference of the expert working group to continue to deepen international cooperation and ensure the timeliness of the trains. Experts said that if large-scale facility renovation can be carried out under domestic and foreign coordination, the number of China-Europe trains is expected to continue to grow steadily.

logistics

Cross-border e-commerce market

China-Europe Express