China-Europe freight trains surpass 140,000 trips milestone

China State Railway Group has announced that China-Europe freight trains have exceeded 140,000 total trips. Since 2011, the service has transported goods valued at more than $560 billion. The milestone was marked by the departure of train X8059 from Puhe station in Shenyang, bound for Moscow.

The rail network now connects 237 cities across 26 European countries and over 100 cities in 12 Asian countries. Within China, 96 regular routes connect 132 cities. Annual trip numbers have grown significantly, rising from 1,702 in 2016 to a projected 20,022 in 2025, representing an average annual increase of over 30%.

Expansion efforts have focused on alternative routes, such as the southern corridor, which saw 746 trips in the first nine months of the year, a 125% increase year-on-year. The operator is also working to integrate rail with road and sea transport to improve connectivity. To support high-end manufacturing, 22 services now operate weekly with fixed timetables between nine Chinese and six European cities.