Tourist train linking China's Xi'an, Kazakhstan's Almaty sets off

A tourist train departed from northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Thursday for Almaty, Kazakhstan, marking a new step in cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Carrying 234 passengers, the train left Xi'an around noon and is set to arrive in Almaty on Saturday. The return journey is scheduled to depart on June 5 and arrive back in Xi'an on June 7, with each one-way trip taking about 57 hours.

The journey is split into two parts: one within China and one across the border, according to Hui Lixia, a railway official.

From Xi'an to Horgos in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, it uses 25T carriages running at 140 km/h, and from Horgos to Almaty, it switches to 25G carriages designed for international rail service, Hui said.

This year marks the China tourism year in Kazakhstan. Upon arrival in Almaty, passengers will be welcomed with fun performances and local cuisine.

A four-day cultural and people-to-people exchange event will be held in Almaty, showcasing a diverse array of activities. Attendees can look forward to demonstrations of intangible cultural heritage skills, exhibitions of cultural relics and promotions of traditional Chinese medicine. Special events will include a youth football friendly match, a symposium on sports exchanges and a gathering of women entrepreneurs.

The special train service is one of the key outcomes of the first China-Central Asia Summit held in Xi'an in 2023. The second summit is scheduled to take place later this year in Kazakhstan.

According to China's General Administration of Customs, China-Central Asia trade reached $94.8 billion in 2024, an increase of $5.4 billion from the previous year. Among Central Asia countries, Kazakhstan ranked first in trade value with China, accounting for over 46 percent of the total and reaching $43.8 billion.

(With input from Xinhua)