On September 20, 2026, China Railway Group released data showing that in the first eight months of 2026, the national railway had sent a total of 2.69 billion tons of goods, with an average daily loading of 187400 vehicles, a slight increase from the same period last year, and continued to operate at a high level. From the new coal transportation from Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia to the cross-border operation of China Europe freight trains, from the single unit system of intermodal transportation of iron and water to the financial innovation of freight loans, China's railway freight is providing solid support for the national economic cycle and opening up to the outside world with the advantages of one network and centralized and unified scheduling.

Coal transportation should be fully loaded

China Railway Group fully leverages the advantages of a national railway network and centralized and unified dispatching and command of transportation, increases the external transportation of coal from the new main production areas of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia, strives to ensure that the transportation of electric coal is fully loaded, and fully supports various regions in welcoming peak summer seasons. From January to August 2026, the national railway will send 1.389 billion tons of coal, including 928 million tons of thermal coal. The coal stored in power plants directly supplied by the national railway will remain at a high level. We will implement a capacity tilt and priority guarantee for the transportation of key materials for national economy and people's livelihood, ensuring fast and efficient delivery. From January to August, the transportation volume of grain, chemical, and textile goods by national railways increased by 9.9%, 5.5%, and 21.7% year-on-year, respectively.

China Europe freight trains increase by 15.9%

According to data from China Railway Group, 24605 China Europe freight trains were operated from January to August, a year-on-year increase of 9.7%. Among them, 14842 China EU trains were operated, up 15.9% year on year. The cross-border freight trains of the China Laos Railway and the rail sea intermodal trains of the new land sea channel in the west remained in stable operation, providing a strong transport guarantee for the high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road and China's high-level opening up. According to the relevant person in charge of China Railway Group, in order to improve the quality and upgrade of railway logistics products, China Railway Group is focusing on creating a single system product for intermodal transportation of iron and water. From January to August, a total of 192 products were launched, with 85200 TEUs booked. The volume of intermodal transportation of container iron and water increased by 8.6% year-on-year. Keywords: Cross border trains, transportation, logistics

Logistics finance supports the real economy

China Railway Group actively promotes railway logistics financial products such as freight loans and freight certificates, with a total financing of 13.2 billion yuan so far. It comprehensively promotes new services of insured and insurance logistics, better supporting the development of the real economy. Next, China Railway Group will accelerate the construction of a modern railway logistics system, fully leverage the leading role of the China Multimodal Transport Development Alliance, continuously optimize the supply of railway logistics products in China, strive to provide high-quality logistics services that are safe, stable, convenient, efficient, and green economy, and help reduce logistics costs for the whole society. In addition, from January to August 2026, the national railway sent 3.32 billion passengers, a year-on-year increase of 3.9%, setting a new historical high for the same period. A total of 2501 tourist trains have been operated on national railways, with 812 trains including fan trains and fan trains in the first 8 months, activating theme trains and promoting economy, expanding new consumption scenarios, and effectively driving the development of industries such as catering, hotels, and cultural tourism along the line.Editor/Gao Xue