The 500th China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train from North China's Shanxi province departs for countries in Central Asia on Sept 25. [Photo/Shanxi Daily] 

The 500th China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train from North China's Shanxi province departed from local Zhongding Logistics Park on Sept 25, since the first train was launched in February 2017.

Loaded with plastic plates, bolts, refractory bricks, and ceramic tableware produced in the city of Shuozhou, the freight train will head for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan via Horgos land port in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in China.

Bordering the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to the east and the China-Mongolia-Russia passage to the north and connecting with the ancient Silk Road in the west, Shanxi has a suitable location for developing China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train services.

The province has continued to expand the area of and increase the number of freight train routes with more local high-end equipment manufacturing and high-tech products exported to countries and regions in Europe and Central Asia by rail. 

The number of freight trains to Europe and Central Asia launched from Shanxi has been increasing year by year, from 10 trains in 2017 to 185 trains in 2020. This year, 148 trains have been launched so far. And the number of return trains has increased from zero in 2017 to 83, according to Zhou Yong, deputy manager of Shanxi Jinou Logistics Co, which operates the freight train services. 

The number of China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train routes operating normally and regularly has increased to 10, and the routes cover 27 cities in 12 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, said Zhang Quan, director of the business department of the company. 

In the future, the company will continue to facilitate the operation of China-Europe freight trains so as to help economic and trade exchange between Shanxi and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.