Regular cargo train services from Wuhan in central China to Europe have boosted trade in the first three quarters, said the operator.

More than 10,000 containers worth 500 million U.S. dollars were carried by train from Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province to countries like Russia, Poland and Germany, said Wu Guangming, general manger of Wuhan Asia-Europe Logistics Co., Ltd., operator of the railway route. The cargo volume in the first half of this year exceeded last year's total.

The cargo train will soon be even busier as approval to import cars, grain, meat and fruit is thought to be imminent, said Wu.

Another boost will come from container trains between Wuhan and other cities like Chengdu, Xi'an and Shanghai, he added.

Several Chinese cities, including Chengdu, Changsha, Hefei, Yiwu, Suzhou and Harbin, have similar freight train services to Europe.