BEIJING, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) — By Chen Hang With a long whistle, a cross-Caspian Sea China-Europe freight train loaded with more than 11 million yuan worth of goods including aluminum profiles, auto parts, and mechanical equipment slowly departed from the Beijing International Inland Port in Fangshan District, Beijing on the evening of the 22nd. It is expected to arrive in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, in 15 days, before being distributed to cities in the European hinterland. This marks the official commencement of regular operations for Beijing’s cross-Caspian Sea China-Europe freight trains, providing a convenient and stable golden channel for “Beijing-made smart manufacturing” to integrate into the global industrial chain.
It is reported that this international route spans over 8,000 kilometers, exiting China via the Khorgos port in Xinjiang, and passing through Kazakhstan and across the Caspian Sea to Baku, Azerbaijan. As the operator of the freight train service, Beijing Fangshan International Inland Port Operation Co., Ltd., building on the previous operation of cross-Caspian Sea trains, has strengthened research, demonstration, and coordination with railway and customs departments to ensure seamless connection of all links in the logistics chain, forming a stable operating route and achieving the capacity for regular operations.
“There are numerous countries along the Caspian Sea and Black Sea with strong demand. The cross-Caspian Sea freight trains can closely link Beijing’s advantages in high-end manufacturing with the market potential of countries along the route,” said Wang Chuanmeng, General Manager of Beijing Fangshan International Inland Port Operation Co., Ltd. He stated that the regular operation of the freight trains not only shortens the time and distance between Beijing and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, improves logistics efficiency, but also provides solid support for the smooth flow of regional industrial and supply chains, better serving the capital’s export-oriented economy and promoting the integrated development of “trade + industry”.
Currently, Beijing International Inland Port has established an international logistics network pattern of “four directional channels and five regular lines”, stably operating five international freight train lines to Tashkent, Almaty, Moscow, Minsk, and Baku, radiating to over 20 countries and regions in Asia and Europe, forming a three-dimensional transportation layout of “direct land delivery + rail-sea combined transport”. Since commencing operations in March this year, it has累计 operated 12 China-Europe (Asia) freight trains, shipping 1,082 TEUs, with a cargo weight of 9,326 tons and a value of 171 million yuan. “Beijing-made smart manufacturing” products such as mechanical and electrical equipment, auto parts, and biomedicine have thereby reached the world. (End)
