Big Data: China-Europe freight train routes transport $16 bln worth of goods
Updated 13:40, 20-Apr-2019
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Your favorite European products can now get to China faster and cheaper than before. Railway networks have become major tools of trade among Eurasian countries. CGTN's Zhao Yunfei tells us how the China-Europe freight train routes help save costs and boost efficiency.
Eurasia accounts for three quarters of the world's total population. The intercontinental trade flow is facilitated by railway train routes.
Here in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, many Chinese electronic devices start their journey to Europe. The train goes through customs at the Alataw Pass in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and reaches Hamburg, Germany in just two weeks. On the way back, the train carries German automobile products to Zhengzhou. 
In addition to high-end products, the range of trade items has expanded to clothes, grain, and even wine over the years.
The trade routes have progressively become much busier. In 2018, more than 6,000 trips were made along the China-Europe line, making a total goods volume of 16 billion US dollars.
Back in 2011, when the project initially launched, the volume was just 600 million dollars.
ZHAO YUNFEI ZHENGZHOU "Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe Freight trains pass through 60 cities within China and 50 in other countries. The routes include 15 European countries."
Now, compared to 2011, up to 135 transport hours can be saved on part of the railway network.
Shipping by rail is time- and cost-effective and the infrastructure connectivity between the countries makes it all happen.
Zhao Yunfei, CGTN, Zhengzhou, Henan Province.