AT the Guoyuan Port located in Liangjiang New Area, Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, containers are neatly stacked while intelligent container gantry cranes operate efficiently. Freight trains stand ready to transport various commodities to faraway locations.
As a landmark logistics center and the largest port on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Guoyuan Port has achieved seamless multi-modal transport integrating railway, road, and waterway.
Relying on its unique location in western China, the operation of the China-Europe freight trains and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, Chongqing has played a pivotal role in fueling China’s market and transforming global trade dynamics.
THRIVING HUB A view of the Guoyuan Port in Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on May 19, 2024. XINHUA PHOTO
Key transportation node
In 2011, a train loaded with electronic products embarked on a journey from Tuanjiecun Station in Chongqing to Duisburg in Germany, marking the inauguration of the China-Europe freight train service.
“In 2016, our company operated only a few trains per week, but now we have five to 10 trains running every day. The growth has multiplied several times,” a manager of the operations department at Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., who just give her surname as Hu, told the Global Times.
The Chongqing-Duisburg route covers a length of more than 11,000 kilometers, while a wide range of commodities, from electronic products, vehicles and auto components to textiles and food products, can reach multiple destinations in Europe in as fast as 13 days, according to a separate statement from Yuxinou.
The steady growth in volume can also be seen at the Xinglongchang marshaling station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in the Shapingba district, serving multiple international routes. The marshaling station is dedicated to handling the classification and grouping of freight trains upon arrival and departure.
Guoyuan Port has played a significant role in promoting the development of the corridor as one of the most accessible channels to reach Asean markets. The port also aims to expand the trade sources from the Asean, such as fresh products and frozen aquatic products.
As of June 21, 2024, the total number of shipments transported through the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor exceeded 400,000 standard containers. The corridor currently extends to 18 Chinese provinces and cities while transporting commodities to 518 ports in 124 countries and regions worldwide, China Media Group reported.
Safeguarding logistics, industrial and supply chains
The operation of the China-Europe freight trains in Chongqing is also a vivid example showcasing the significant role that the freight trains have played in ensuring stable and smooth logistics while contributing to strengthened local industrial and supply chains.
Amid a range of geopolitical tensions, such as the ongoing Red Sea crisis, some enterprises have opted to use the China-Europe freight train services to replace sea transportation as a relatively secure and reliable way to avoid potential interruptions and delays, according to the Yuxinou statement.
The freight trains offer a quicker, more stable service, regardless of different weather and sea conditions. The service bypasses potential maritime transport perils and ensures safe and timely deliveries.
“Since early this year, the China-Europe Railway Express has run 10,000 trips and shipped over 1 million TEUs of goods, up by 11 percent year on year. The number of trips through the west, middle and east major routes rose by 13 percent, 20 percent and 5 percent, respectively, year on year,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a routine press conference on July 16.
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