On December 10, 2025, a China Europe freight train loaded with electronic products, automotive parts, and daily necessities departed from the ancient capital of Xi'an, sounding its horn. After only 10 days and 23 hours, it arrived steadily in Budapest, Hungary. For Li Na, the general manager of Beijing Cross Eurasian International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd., the arrival time of this train is already on her schedule. Accurate and controllable timing allows us and our clients to arrange everything in advance, reducing the pressure on funds and warehousing, "she sighed. This efficient journey is a vivid epitome of the China Europe freight train entering a new era of "full timetable" public transportation operation.

From "going back and forth" to "public transportation" fast lines, optimizing both timeliness and cost

In the past, there were certain fluctuations in the transportation time of China Europe freight trains. Nowadays, a "full timetable China Europe freight train" with fixed train numbers, routes, schedules, and operating times is changing this situation. Guo Zhuxue, Chairman of China National Railway Group, introduced that by strengthening international cooperation and optimizing transportation organization, such trains can reasonably control the port replacement and other links, significantly reducing transportation time compared to ordinary trains and improving overall efficiency by about 30%. At the same time, the round-trip transportation volume of trains is becoming increasingly balanced, with a comprehensive heavy container rate of 100%. The domestic and international freight prices have decreased by more than 40% compared to the initial operation, significantly reducing international logistics costs. Xi'an has become the first city in China to achieve regular operation of three full timetable routes, forming a stable rhythm of "six trips and three trips" per week. As of the end of November 2023, the cumulative operation of China Europe freight trains has exceeded 120000, with a value of over 490 billion US dollars in goods shipped. At present, there are 17 fully scheduled train routes, with over 1000 trains operating annually, covering 9 cities in China and 6 cities in Europe. Efficient public transportation operation not only provides guarantees for "Made in China" to explore the European market, but also makes it more convenient for high-quality European goods to enter China.

More than just 'shipping': diversified development enriches the connotation of the 'Steel Silk Road'

The development of China Europe freight trains goes far beyond pursuing speed and cost. With the increasing variety of goods carried, fresh cold chain, precision medicine, and even cultural elements have all boarded this train. To ensure the safety of fresh products such as milk, red wine, and fruits during their journey, specialized cold chain trains can achieve constant temperature sealing and remote monitoring throughout the entire process. Jeff Moliner from the Dutch New Silk Road Logistics Company stated that the highly sensitive demand for drug transportation, which is sensitive to time and temperature, can also be met through the China Europe freight train, which brings new opportunities to the Dutch pharmaceutical industry in the Asian market. In the first half of 2023, on a special international humanistic tourism train from Xi'an to Almaty, Kazakhstan, the staff and passengers will wrap Zongzi together and experience the intangible cultural heritage skills, making the train a mobile platform for cultural exchange. In addition, the first national "full timetable+green low-carbon+cross-border e-commerce" special train has also departed from Xi'an to Duisburg, Germany. The transportation cost of this train is only about one-fifth of air freight, and it uses clean energy, highlighting the trend of green and diversified integrated development.

The network is increasingly broad, becoming a landmark channel for high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road

Since its first operation in 2011, the China Europe freight train has expanded from drilling equipment and textile products to 53 categories and over 50000 types of goods. It is not only an important channel for "Made in China" to go abroad, but also a bridge for "two-way travel" on the Eurasian continent, loaded with global goods. At present, 128 cities in China have opened the China Europe freight train, which connects 232 cities in 26 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. Li Baozhou, director of the Xi'an West Railway Station Command Center, pointed out that the operation of public transportation and transparent pricing have effectively supported trade expansion. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, the Belt and Road latest information

The data shows that the average single container cargo value of the China Europe freight train in the entire timetable is 41% higher than that of the regular train. From a logistics channel to a diversified platform integrating commerce, culture, and green concepts, the China Europe freight train is constantly shortening the time and space distance between the Asian and European continents through diversified development and public transportation services. In the future, this intercontinental corridor will continue to carry the vision of win-win cooperation and create more new opportunities for international cooperation.Editor/Yang Meiling