On December 10, as a China-Europe Railway Express train consisting of 60 carriages and loaded with home appliances and digital products departed from the Manzhouli Railway Port, the number of China-Europe Railway Express trains passing through the Eastern Corridor in 2025 reached 5,166, transporting more than 530,000 TEUs of goods. The corridor has provided strong support for China's high-level opening-up. (Xinhua News Agency)
These impressive figures not only demonstrate the resilience of China's foreign trade, but also highlight the strategic importance of this “Steel Silk Road” in stabilizing global industrial and supply chains, becoming a vivid example of high-quality international connectivity.
Three-Port Coordination: Building a More Efficient Eurasian Rail Network
The China-Europe Railway Express Eastern Corridor has moved beyond reliance on a single border port and has developed a coordinated operation model involving three major ports: Manzhouli, Suifenhe and Tongjiang. After years of development, the corridor now operates 27 routes, connecting 14 countries including Poland, Germany and the Netherlands, while linking more than 60 Chinese cities such as Changsha, Zhengzhou and Chengdu.
The corridor has established an integrated trade network featuring efficient domestic and international connectivity. Cargo categories have also upgraded from traditional daily consumer goods to more than 1,000 types of high-value products, including computers, refrigerators and commercial vehicles. Emerging products such as new energy vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products have become new growth drivers.
This dual upgrade in network coverage and cargo structure has enabled the Eastern Corridor to account for around 30% of China's total China-Europe Railway Express operations, with return trains accounting for more than 31.9%. It has become a major “golden corridor” for China-Europe trade and Eurasian economic cooperation.
Digital Empowerment: Improving Customs Clearance Efficiency
Efficiency improvement has become one of the core advantages of the Eastern Corridor. Supported by the 95306 “Digital Port” system, railway authorities have strengthened cooperation with customs and border inspection departments, introduced paperless clearance procedures, optimized broad-gauge train receiving processes and dynamically allocated inspection resources.
Through these measures, the shortest customs clearance time for China-Europe Railway Express trains has been reduced to within 30 minutes, while overall operational efficiency has improved by nearly 10%.
At Manzhouli Port, container transfer operations can be completed within just two minutes. Suifenhe Port has implemented a “four-priority” transportation organization system to ensure smooth clearance procedures, while Tongjiang Port has introduced a 48-hour advance notification mechanism to significantly reduce waiting times during transshipment.
These practical innovations have reduced logistics costs for enterprises and further strengthened the Eastern Corridor as a preferred channel for international rail freight transportation.
Infrastructure Upgrade: Strengthening Long-Term Development Capacity
Strong infrastructure provides the foundation for sustainable corridor development. Harbin Railway Group continues to improve key transportation routes. Following the upgrading of the Suifenhe–border section of the Bin-Sui Railway, China-Europe Railway Express services have been transferred to the upgraded line, significantly increasing transportation capacity.
Meanwhile, the expansion project of the Jiamusi–Tongjiang Railway is accelerating. Once completed, the Tongjiang Port's handling capacity is expected to increase threefold, providing additional support for future growth.
At the same time, after expansion and upgrading of the international freight yard at Manzhouli Station, daily container transfer capacity has doubled. Intelligent railway upgrades have further improved operational efficiency, continuously enhancing the Eastern Corridor's transportation capacity.
From the growth of annual China-Europe Railway Express Eastern Corridor operations from only 45 trains to 5,166 trains, to breakthroughs in three-port coordination, digital customs clearance and infrastructure upgrades, this steel transportation corridor is connecting Asia and Europe with growing vitality.
Looking ahead, with continuous infrastructure improvement and enhanced logistics services, the China-Europe Railway Express Eastern Corridor will carry greater opportunities for international cooperation, further promote Eurasian trade connectivity and inject stronger railway momentum into global economic development.
