The first Chang'an freight train departed from Xi'an Port's Xi'an Railway Container Center Station in the Xi'an International Trade and Logistics (ITL) Park on Nov 28, 2013 and arrived in Almaty, Kazakhstan six days later, which has facilitated freight logistics between Xi'an and Central Asia.

The China-Europe freight train (Xi'an-Warsaw) first began operation on Aug 18, 2016, saving more than 30 days in shipping time when compared to shipping by boat, while the first China-Europe freight train (Xi'an-Hamburg) departed from Xi'an on Sept 2, 2016 and arrived in Hamburg, Germany 13 days later.

The official run of the China-Europe (Xi'an-Budapest) train on April 1, 2017 has not only successfully linked domestic and international freight trains from Yiwu in East China's Zhejiang province-Xi'an-Budapest, but also achieved cooperation between Xi'an and Zhejiang for the first time and opened up a new logistics channel for small Yiwu commodities.

The China-Asia and China-Europe freight trains have established stable logistics and a large channel connecting Central Asia and Europe in order to implement the Belt and Road Initiative, opening up a safe, efficient and convenient international import and export channel between China and Europe.

By the end of 2017, the total number of China-Asia and China-Europe freight trains had reached 480, with a total of 659,000 metric tons in cargo being transported to more than 40 countries and regions.

In 2018, Xi'an opened three new routes: Xi'an to Belarus, Xi'an to Iran (Afghanistan), and Xi'an to Ghent (Belgium). The number of total routes for China-Asia and China-Europe freight trains has reached nine.

The frequency of the Chang'an freight trains has also increased, making things more convenient for cross-border e-commerce companies and saving on time and costs.

In addition, the volume of local exports has increased greatly in recent years thanks to Chang'an freight trains. Market brand and popularity have also improved, and the types of imports and exports have become more varied.

German kitchen utensils, Australian milk powder, Kazakhstan honey, and Southeast Asian snacks are all available, constantly improving the quality of people's lives.

"Exports have gradually expanded to various fields, from construction machinery, decoration materials to auto parts, electronic components and some high-end manufacturing products in the last few years," said Yuan Xiaojun, general manager of Lugang Group's Multimodal Transport Co in ITL Park.

In the first quarter of this year, Chang'an freight trains exported $86.603 million worth of mechanical and electrical products, a more than seven-fold increase, while textile exports were worth $63.254 million, a more than 15-fold increase.

Backhaul goods of the Chang'an China-Asia freight trains are mainly Kazakhstan wheat, virgin oil, honey, Uzbekistan mung beans, and cotton yarn. Exports on the China-Asia and China-Europe freight trains are mainly machinery and equipment, industrial raw materials, building materials, daily necessities, and auto parts.

For 2018, ITL Park has set an annual goal of 1,000 columns for the Chang'an freight trains to create a new logistics hub.

ITL Park will also continue to increase internal trade between Xi'an-Qingdao and other major domestic ports to build an international logistics channel, forming a regional service system for integrated logistics and supply chain.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/shaanxi/itl/2018-08/28/content_36851986.htm