With sea shipping is still unpredictable due to the global COVID-19 situation, many foreign buyers have shifted their orders to rail freight.
Launched in November 2013, freight trains have become a vital transport link between Europe and the city of Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province.
The city was also where an ancient envoy started his mission to the Western regions over 2,000 years ago, which eventually led to the opening of the Silk Road.
As of Nov. 20, the freight trains had conducted a total of 10,963 trips. They are the busiest among all 70-plus routes of the China-Europe freight train service, connecting Xi’an with Central Asian and European destinations, including 45 cities in Belt and Road countries.