Chongqing-Europe freight train promotes trade cooperation

Chongqing, a municipality in southwestern China, has so far operated more than 1,000 freight train services linking it to Duisburg in Germany since January 2011, according to Yang Liqiong, deputy director of Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, People’s Daily reports.

More than one train would leave Chongqing each day now, said Yang.

The Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe cargo train passes Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus and Poland before reaching Duisburg. The journey of more than 11,000 kilometers takes less than 13 days. In comparison, it takes nearly two months to transport goods from Chongqing to Duisburg by river-sea routes. And the expense of railway transport is only 20 percent of air transportation.

Liu Jun, executive director of Shanghai Tiejia International Cargo Transportation Agency Company, said, “The sea transportation between China and Europe is too slow and the air transportation is too expensive. The railway transportation is ideal for many high value-added cargos.”

Many enterprises are registered in Chongqing to take advantage of the freight train route. Goods transported from Chongqing to Europe have expanded from IT products to machinery equipment, finished automobile and parts, coffee beans and daily necessities. The cargos returning from Europe are mainly finished cars and parts, machinery equipment, daily necessities, beer, cosmetics and milk powder.

The freight train service also deepens regional cooperation, industrial clustering and ports’ economic development. Chongqing’s logistics now reach all major cities in Europe and Central Asia.