MENA Newswire News Desk: A China-Europe Freight Train departed from Chongqing Municipality on Friday, destined for Duisburg, Germany, marking the 100,000th trip of the cross-border rail service since its launch in 2011. This milestone highlights the rapid growth and importance of the China-Europe Freight Train network in global trade over the past 13 years. According to China Central Television (CCTV), the service has transported more than 11 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods, with a total value exceeding $420 billion.
Operated by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway), the network has become a vital corridor for trade, connecting Asia with Europe and beyond. The service has experienced significant growth in 2024, with over 17,000 trips recorded so far this year—an 11% year-on-year increase. Since March, the monthly number of freight train trips has consistently exceeded 1,600, demonstrating sustained demand and operational efficiency.
Between 2016 and 2023, the annual number of trips surged nearly tenfold, from 1,702 to over 17,000. Additionally, the time required to achieve 10,000 trips has been reduced from 90 months in the early years to just six months today. The network now transports over 50,000 types of goods, with the annual value of goods transported growing from $8 billion in 2016 to $56.7 billion in 2024. Currently, 93 scheduled China-Europe Railway Express routes operate at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour within China, connecting 125 domestic cities.
These routes extend to 227 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian nations, offering comprehensive coverage across the Eurasian continent. This extensive network has emerged as a cornerstone of economic and trade cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. By linking markets across continents, the China-Europe Freight Train continues to drive global connectivity and economic integration, setting new standards for international rail logistics.