On June 21, the 75170 China-Europe freight train loaded with construction machinery, furniture, food and other goods departed from the Changsha International Railway Port. This is a new China-Europe freight train service linking Changsha with Ulan Bator, capital of Mongolia, which will bring new opportunities and impetus for Hunan to integrate into the "Belt and Road" Initiative.

Carrying 58.55 tons of goods valued at 1.5238 million USD, the first train on this route will cross China's border via Erenhot Port and is scheduled to arrive in Ulan Bator in 6 days. The whole journey is about 3,320 kilometers.

Mongolia is the second largest landlocked country in the world and an important node country involved in the "Belt and Road" Initiative. China and Mongolia share borders, and have unique geographical advantages to carry out economic and trade activities. The new route is a response to the national "Belt and Road" Initiative and the opening of a new logistics channel between China and Mongolia.

"After the launch of the Changsha-Erenhot Port-Mongolia's Ulan Bator freight train service, the timeliness, safety and economic efficiency of cargo transportation can be improved," said Yao Xiaoxiong, head of Hunan Zhongnan International Land Port Co., Ltd. Yao added that freight train services help shore up weakness in road transportation such as high costs and considerable uncertainties.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the China-Europe freight train service has become an essential way of international freight transportation, in addition to sea and air transport. It has played a critical role in stabilizing international supply chains and industrial chains and assisting international anti-epidemic cooperation.

This year, Changsha registered a strong momentum of development in China-Europe freight train service. As of June 20, the city handled 500 trains, a year-on-year increase of 46.63%. There were a total of 41,202 TEUs carrying 344,600 tons of goods valued at 1.333 billion USD.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Changsha Evening News