In the hinterland of Eurasia, the “steel camel train” gallops incessantly; on the Silk Road spanning thousands of miles, the China-Europe Railway Express continues to write a new legend.
Since its first journey in 2011, this flowing “steel artery” has evolved from a single route to a networked and chained system, from basic connectivity to efficient and smooth operation. Over more than a decade, it has developed into a logistics channel and economic corridor spanning east and west.
On September 15, 2023, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the first China-Europe Railway Express International Cooperation Forum. He pointed out that since its launch, the China-Europe Railway Express has maintained safe, stable, and smooth operation, creating a new pattern for international transport between Asia and Europe, building a new platform for economic and trade cooperation along the routes, effectively ensuring the stability of international industrial and supply chains, and injecting new momentum into world economic development.
Today, the China-Europe Railway Express, with cumulative trips exceeding 110,000, is writing a glorious chapter of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation on the journey of jointly building the Belt and Road, becoming a vibrant engine in world economic development.
Channel Construction: From “Connecting Points into Areas” to “Weaving Networks and Forming Chains”
November 17, 2025: The X9043 China-Europe Railway Express (Xi’an) departs from Xi’an International Port Station, heading towards Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan (drone photo). Photo by Rui Shao, Xinhua News Agency.
In the early morning, the whistle sounds at Xi’an International Port Station as a China-Europe Railway Express (Xi’an) loaded with electronic products and general merchandise sets off westward towards Europe.
Annual trips have grown from 46 to over 5,000, with cumulative trips accounting for about a quarter of the national total for the China-Europe Railway Express. The continuously growing China-Europe Railway Express (Xi’an) is not only a busy trade envoy on the Eurasian continent but also a vivid epitome of China’s new pattern of opening up.
The first “Yu-Xin-Ou” Acer special train photographed on September 22, 2011. Photo by Jian Li, Xinhua News Agency.
On March 19, 2011, the first China-Europe Railway Express, “Yu-Xin-Ou,” departed from Tuanjie Village Station in Chongqing, opening a new era of railway transport between Asia and Europe. This once little-known station has now become a “major thoroughfare hub” radiating across Asia and Europe. The China-Europe Railway Express departing from here has seen continuous increases in key indicators such as trip volume, freight volume, and heavy container rate.
Routes have been established from scratch, and transport capacity has been continuously upgraded. The China-Europe Railway Express has built a “New Silk Road” for mutual exchange and win-win cooperation between China and Europe.
February 6, 2025: Commercial vehicles waiting to be loaded at Chongqing Yuzui Station (drone photo). Photo by Yan Tang, Xinhua News Agency.
Chongqing, located inland, once faced development constraints due to logistics. Exporting goods either took dozens of days “across the oceans” or incurred high costs via air freight. “The China-Europe Railway Express closely connects Chongqing with countries like Kazakhstan and Russia, significantly shortening transport time and reducing costs to one-fifth of air freight,” said Liu Taiping, General Manager of Yu-Xin-Ou (Chongqing) Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd.
The China-Europe Railway Express has achieved a leap from a single channel to a diversified network. Xiao Lizhi, Deputy General Manager of Xi’an Land Port Multimodal Transport Co., Ltd. in Xi’an Chanba International Port, said that the China-Europe Railway Express has developed from an initial single railway line to the current situation with three main east, central, and west routes operating simultaneously, constantly expanding new southern paths like the Trans-Caspian and Trans-Black Sea routes, and seamlessly connecting with the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the Golden Waterway of the Yangtze River, and coastal ports. The operational network has advanced from “connecting points into areas” to “weaving networks and forming chains.” “This three-dimensional channel pattern significantly enhances the resilience of the international logistics chain.”
Entering the Xi’an Chanba International Port, the operation status of 18 trunk lines is clear at a glance on the electronic screen of the China-Europe Railway Express operation platform. Trains departing from here can reach major European hubs like Hamburg, Germany, and Budapest, Hungary. “We can intelligently recommend the optimal route based on customer needs,” said Zhang Qitao, Deputy General Manager of Xi’an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Co., Ltd.
As of June this year, the cumulative trips of the China-Europe Railway Express have exceeded 110,000, reaching 229 cities in 26 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. The “multi-point, multi-line, multi-directional” channel layout has formed a powerful network synergy effect.
From Chongqing’s Tuanjie Village to 14 national assembly centers across the country, the China-Europe Railway Express has completed a profound channel transformation in over a decade. The sprawling railways, like shining threads, weave a golden network of cooperation and win-win outcomes across the Eurasian continent.
Model Innovation: From “Basic Connectivity” to “Efficient and Smooth Operation”
Kazakhstan’s Xi’an Terminal in operation at Xi’an International Port Station (photo taken on November 14, 2025, drone photo). Photo by Rui Shao, Xinhua News Agency.
At the Alashankou and Khorgos ports in Xinjiang, the transshipment of return trains can be completed in an average of 2 hours, with the daily average of inbound and outbound China-Europe (Central Asia) trains stabilized at over 27. At Kazakhstan’s Xi’an Terminal in Shaanxi, port transshipment time has been reduced from the previous three or four days to 3 hours. Key document information is shared instantly across borders via the cloud, and containers are processed “immediately upon arrival”…
Behind the leap in efficiency lies systematic and intelligent logistics transformation.
In recent years, as the freight volume and value of the China-Europe Railway Express continue to grow, countries along the routes have continuously increased investment in infrastructure construction, comprehensively enhancing transport efficiency.
At the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base, staff check container transportation status via the “China-Kazakhstan Logistics Yard” information tracking system (photo taken July 25, 2024). Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Bo摄
Since the first China-Central Asia Summit was held in 2023, China and Kazakhstan have innovated their cooperation model, successively investing in and operating modern logistics yards in each other’s territories, breaking the dilemma of the “transit economy” and opening a new era of win-win development.
Since the Kazakhstan Xi’an Terminal became operational in February last year, the railway and customs departments of China and Kazakhstan have achieved online collaborative business processing, significantly reducing the dwell time of freight trains at the border, making this terminal a commercial and logistics distribution center for Kazakhstan in China.
This is a photo of the China·Xi’an Kazakhstan Terminal sign taken in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on August 1, 2025. Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Renzi摄
In June this year, the China·Xi’an Kazakhstan Terminal located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, was completed and put into operation. “The traditional ‘relay baton’ transport model of the China-Europe Railway Express has been upgraded to a comprehensive ‘hub-to-hub’ cooperation, and the cycle model of ‘full containers going out and full containers coming back’ has become a reality,” said Yuan Xiaojun, General Manager of Xi’an International Port Group Co., Ltd.
Continuously deepening the deep integration of technical standards, data content, and regulatory rules, and actively building an efficient and transparent logistics network community… Cooperation among countries along the China-Europe Railway Express route is becoming increasingly profound.
According to Dong Hui, Deputy Director of the Freight Transport Department of China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., in the past, when the China-Europe Railway Express passed through various countries, there were issues such as uncertain transit times and excessive ineffective stops. After the launch of the full timetable trains, railway departments of various countries share information to ensure efficient transshipment at border ports, achieving precise “passenger train-like” operation. This innovative model has won market recognition and attracted a large amount of high-value-added cargo.
A China-Europe freight train loaded with goods is seen at the Urumqi International Land Port Area in Xinjiang on May 27, 2024. Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Fei摄
Zhong Hehua, head of the Land Port Service Bureau of the Urumqi International Land Port Area and Lingang Economic Zone Management Committee, said that the Urumqi International Land Port Area has successively launched four full timetable trains, reaching cities such as Almaty in Kazakhstan, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, and Salerno in Italy.
Currently, the full timetable China-Europe Railway Express operates 17 trains per week stably, with the total transit time compressed by an average of over 30% compared to regular trains, and the average value per container is 41% higher than that of regular China-Europe Railway Express trains, continuously empowering cooperation in multiple fields among countries along the route.
Furthermore, China Railway Container Transport Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Railway Group, has established overseas subsidiaries in countries including Kazakhstan and Germany, deepening cooperation with local partners to jointly develop two-way cargo sources. More gratifying is that the number of outbound and return trips of the China-Europe Railway Express is now basically balanced, and the comprehensive full container load rate remains stable at 100%, demonstrating strong market vitality and sustainable development capabilities.
The proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan regarding the high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road” suggest “deepening infrastructure ‘hard connectivity’, rules and standards ‘soft connectivity’, and people-to-people bonds ‘heart connectivity’ with partner countries, improving the layout of the three-dimensional interconnected network” and “upgrading the development level of the China-Europe (Central Asia) Railway Express”.
A relevant official from the Xi’an Chanba International Port said that in the future, they will continue to leverage the comprehensive driving role of the China-Europe Railway Express, strengthen the “hub-to-hub” opening function of the Xi’an Assembly Center, promote the integrated development of the port, trade, industry, and city, build a China-Europe Railway Express economic circle featuring “logistics + trade + finance + industry”, and continuously expand high-level opening up.
Silk Road Win-Win: From “Logistics Channel” to “Economic Corridor”
Inside the smart workshop of Shaanxi Konka Smart Home Appliances Co., Ltd. located in the Xi’an Chanba International Port, robotic arms work in an orderly manner, and conveyor belts rotate in sequence. Here, a dishwasher is assembled every 20 seconds on average.
“The logistics advantages of the China-Europe Railway Express attracted our company to set up here. From the start of production in 2022 to the end of September this year, 239,600 white goods have been transported to Central Asia, Europe, and other places via the China-Europe Railway Express,” introduced Yuan Gen, Deputy General Manager of Shaanxi Konka Smart Home Appliances Co., Ltd. Following the direction he pointed, just 1 kilometer away is the Xi’an Assembly Center for the China-Europe Railway Express.
As the steel artery extends, economic and trade exchanges intensify. The China-Europe Railway Express connects a three-dimensional, efficient, and multi-dimensional trade channel, enabling more and more “Made in China” products to integrate into the global industrial chain.
This is a photo of the X8008 China-Europe freight train returning from Duisburg, Germany, to Xi’an International Port Station, taken on July 10, 2023. Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen摄
In Chongqing, new energy vehicles are ready for departure, boarding the China-Europe Railway Express bound for Duisburg, Germany; in Zhengzhou, Henan, electronic products like mobile phones and tablet computers reach Rotterdam, Netherlands via the China-Europe Railway Express; in Yiwu, Zhejiang, China-Europe freight trains filled with toys and household items head towards Madrid, Spain…
As “Made in China” goes global, “global favorites” also arrive conveniently. “Via the China-Europe Railway Express, flour from Kazakhstan can be transported to Xi’an in just 7 days, about 18 days faster than before,” said Liu Dongmeng, Party Committee Secretary of Xi’an Aiju Grain and Oil Industrial Group Co., Ltd.
Accompanied by the sound of train whistles, ice cream from Kazakhstan, honey from Kyrgyzstan, wine from Georgia, juice and red sausage from Russia… these “exotic specialties” come via the China-Europe Railway Express, enriching the dining tables of Chinese people.
Smooth flow of goods, trade connecting the world. Data from China State Railway Group shows that as of June 10 this year, the total value of goods sent by the China-Europe Railway Express has exceeded 450 billion U.S. dollars.
Flourishing trade with smooth logistics, connection through goods fostering closer bonds. The China-Europe Railway Express acts like a bridge, not only making economic and trade exchanges more convenient but also promoting cultural integration and civilizational dialogue.
On May 29, 2025, the China-Central Asia International Cultural Tourism Train (Xi’an-Almaty section) departs on its inaugural journey from Xi’an, Shaanxi. Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Yimiao摄
In the first half of this year, the China-Central Asia International Cultural and Tourism Train (Xi’an-Almaty section) made its inaugural journey. During the trip, activities such as intangible cultural heritage skill demonstrations, cultural and creative product making, and traditional Chinese medicine experiences attracted local residents, allowing this Iron Silk Road to shoulder a new mission of promoting cultural exchange.
On November 10, the China (Shaanxi)-Multinational Corporation Industrial Cooperation Conference was held in Xi’an, bringing together over 180 multinational corporations by the banks of the Ba River. Outside the conference exhibition hall, a display board printed with the China-Europe Railway Express route map caught the attention of corporate representatives.
Zsolth Hoinarkó, Supervisor of the Hungarian Association of Automotive Parts Manufacturers, looked at the board and said, “I had seen news about the China-Europe Railway Express before. In the future, I hope our products can also use this method to expand into broader markets and achieve win-win outcomes!”
Joining hands and moving forward together towards the future. The China-Europe Railway Express is activating the logistics pulse of Asia and Europe with its relentless momentum, injecting powerful energy into global development, and continuously creating new prospects for open cooperation.
