A China-Europe freight train, fully loaded with construction machinery, automobiles and auto parts, and home appliances, pulled out of the Changsha International Railway Port under the supervision of the Xingsha Customs Authority on September 10. This train will arrive in Russia in 15 days. 

Since the China-Europe freight train service began operating in Changsha in October 2014, the city has handled 6,247 freight train trips, transporting over 520,000 containers. The total cargo value is estimated to be approximately 118.209 billion CNY, a volume that firmly places Changsha in the top tier nationwide.

"The China-Europe freight trains run along an extensive 'network' which closes geographical distance among the countries involved and offers more options to enterprises," said a spokesperson of a Hunan-based supply chain company. This company focused on maritime transport previously, and it currently delivers more than 50 containers of goods through the China-Europe (Changsha) freight train service every month.   

From January to August this year, Changsha handled 643 inbound and outbound China-Europe freight train trips, transporting 52,696 containers with a total cargo value of 10.47 billion CNY. In August, 188 freight train trips were handled, delivering 15,434 containers valued at 1.893 billion CNY, representing year-on-year increases of 241.8%, 241.8%, and 46.8%, respectively.  

Currently, Changsha stably operates 12 China-Europe freight train routes, connecting 30 countries and 100 regions across Asia and Europe. This operational scale has consistently ranked among the top tier nationally for six consecutive years, and has exceeded 1,000 trips annually for four years in a row. These routes serve as "golden channels" linking Asia and Europe. The range of exported goods has expanded from daily necessities and hardware tools initially, to engineering machinery, complete vehicles, and auto parts at present. Meanwhile, the imported goods have expanded from 21 to 388 categories, reflecting a continuous diversification of products. 

To ensure efficient and smooth operation of the China-Europe (Changsha) freight train service, the Xingsha Customs Authority has actively coordinated with port and railway departments to streamline service processes and enhance customs clearance efficiency. In the first half of this year, the customs authority implemented an "Inspect First, Ship Later" model, which results in reduction of the inspection time for exported consolidated cargos from four hours to only 30 minutes, lowering overall logistics costs by an average of 15%.

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

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunantoday