Sino-European freight train services vital to trade

The freight train services that link China with the rest of the world, especially the Sino-European freight trains, are a crucial part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Sino-European freight trains have played an increasingly important role in stabilizing international trade during the COVID-19 pandemic that began early last year.

The provinces and cities at or near the international freight train routes have made good use of the modern trade passageway by improving the efficiency and quality of the train operations, which offers a strong support for the stabilization of the international supply chains.

Northeast China’s Liaoning province, for instance, is one of the pivotal links on this trade route.

Standing at the intersection of the Bohai Sea-Rim Economic Belt and Northeast Asia, Liaoning is the only coastal province in Northeast China. Its position makes the province an important trade hub in the northern part of China, based on its developed multimodal shipment system that combines seaports, railways, highways and airports. Dalian and Yingkou in Liaoning are the top two seaports in the Northeast China region.

Liaoning has seen rapid growth in the Sino-European freight train service sector since 2015, especially after establishing close partnerships with international heavyweights such as South Korea-based Samsung and Russian Railways. The province currently offers freight train services through three routes via the Chinese cities of Manzhouli and Hailaer as well as the country of Mongolia.

It is worth mentioning that Yingkou Port Corp, a subsidiary of Liaoning Port Group, has built a large logistics center in Moscow, which is now the largest railway logistics facility in Russia.

Shaanxi province, the starting point of the Ancient Silk Road, puts a special emphasis on the Sino-European freight services that are currently operated on a route that almost coincides with the ancient trade route.

At the current session of Canton Fair, the promotion of the Sino-European freight train services is a highlight of the Shaanxi delegation.

“Railways offer stable and cost-effective means of transportation,” said an executive from Ruxin Import and Export Co based in Shaanxi province. “It takes less than two weeks for a freight train to travel from Shaanxi to any European destination, while sea transportation requires about 45 days.

As the Canton Fair organizers have signed partnership agreements with 61 industrial and commercial institutions along the BRI, the Shaanxi delegation said it wants to use the fair’s platform to promote its Sino-European freight train service.