On November 28, the X8086 China-Europe Railway Express freight train departed from Chengdu International Railway Port carrying 55 containers and headed toward Małaszewicze, Poland. This marked a milestone as China-Europe Railway Express exceeded 120,000 cumulative train operations, with total transported cargo value surpassing USD 490 billion.
As an important practical platform under the Belt and Road Initiative, China-Europe Railway Express has continuously expanded its logistics network across Eurasia in recent years. From key consolidation centers and international railway corridors to fully loaded freight trains, the service demonstrates the growing potential of land-based connectivity and high-quality international cooperation.
On November 18, the X8003 China-Europe Railway Express train departed from Zhengzhou Putian Station for Hamburg, Germany. The launch marked the implementation of the fourth batch of full-route timetable China-Europe Railway Express services, further improving operational stability and transport quality.
During the Second China-Europe Railway Express International Cooperation Forum, the fourth batch of full-route timetable services was officially announced, expanding the scale of scheduled operations to more than 1,000 trains annually.
Full-route timetable China-Europe Railway Express services operate according to fixed train numbers, routes, schedules, and designated departure stations, border crossings, and destinations. Through a "fixed schedule, fixed route, fixed departure time, and fixed train number" operating model, the service improves transport reliability and helps companies better control international logistics costs.
According to China State Railway Group, traditional international rail transport previously faced challenges including uncertain transit times and excessive waiting periods during cross-border operations. The full-route timetable model enables railway operators from different countries to share information, improve border transshipment efficiency, and achieve more precise international rail operations.
Currently, full-route timetable China-Europe Railway Express services operate 17 trains per week. Compared with conventional services on the same routes, transit time is reduced by more than 30% on average, while the average cargo value per container has increased by 41%.
On November 20, a China-Europe Railway Express train carrying 55 containers departed from Erenhot Railway Port in Inner Mongolia toward Russia, marking that annual China-Europe Railway Express traffic through the central corridor exceeded 3,500 trains, reaching a record high.
With increasing demand for cross-border transportation, major railway ports and logistics hubs continue to expand operating capacity, optimize freight organization, and improve service efficiency. The number of routes, freight volume, and cargo categories handled by China-Europe Railway Express continue to grow.
Since the establishment of the first China-Europe Railway Express consolidation centers in Zhengzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Urumqi in 2020, the number of national consolidation centers has expanded to 14. These hubs play a critical role in cargo collection, transfer, and distribution, significantly improving overall transportation efficiency.
Today, China-Europe Railway Express has developed three major transport corridors — eastern, central, and western routes — while new southern routes such as the Trans-Caspian and Black Sea corridors continue to expand. Together with the New Western Land-Sea Corridor and Yangtze River transportation network, a diversified Eurasian logistics network is taking shape.
China-Europe Railway Express now transports more than 50,000 types of goods across 53 categories. High-value products including automotive components, machinery, electronic equipment, and electrical products have become major export commodities, while imports from Europe include machinery, medical equipment, food products, and other goods.
The continuous operation of China-Europe Railway Express represents not only the movement of goods but also deeper economic cooperation, stronger supply chain connectivity, and new opportunities for international trade.
