China-Europe Railway Express Sees Strong Growth in the First Half of 2022
According to the China National Railway Group, China’s foreign trade has continued to show a steady and positive trend in the first half of this year. One of the key factors behind this growth is the strong demand for cross-border transportation through the China-Europe Railway Express, leading to an increase in the number of operational lines.
From January to June, the China-Europe Railway Express operated a total of 8,641 trains and transported a staggering 936,000 TEUs of goods. This represents a year-on-year increase of 16% and 30% respectively, indicating the continuous growth in trade volume.
The expansion of the China-Europe Railway Express’s capacity has played a crucial role in accommodating this increase in traffic. The maximum number of marshalling vehicles and the traction quality of the domestic section have been augmented to 55 and 3,000 tons respectively. These figures reflect a significant 34% and 20% increase compared to the initial stage of train operations. Furthermore, the full train rate has consistently remained above 99%, highlighting the railway’s robust transportation capacity.
Notably, the Xi’an to Duisburg, Germany line has doubled its service frequency from one train per week to two trains. The operating time for this route has remained stable at 12 days. Additionally, the two-way line from Chengdu to Lodz, Poland, along with the return line from Duisburg to Xi’an, Germany, have been introduced, reducing the running time of the China-Europe Railway Express by more than 5 days. Furthermore, efforts are being made to organize return goods for China-Europe freight trains, promoting balanced two-way transportation. The ratio of return trains to outbound trains is anticipated to stabilize at over 87%.
Wang Yanbo, the deputy director of the Multimodal Transport Division of the Freight Department at the China National Railway Group, emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with railway departments in countries along the route. By improving transportation capacity and service quality, the China-Europe Railway Express aims to contribute significantly to the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative by providing high-quality services.
Over the years, the China Railway Express has operated more than 73,000 trains, delivering approximately 6.9 million TEUs of goods. These trains have reached an impressive 216 cities across 25 European countries, further solidifying the railway’s extensive network and reach.
With the sustained growth and positive trend in China’s foreign trade, combined with the continuous development and expansion of the China-Europe Railway Express, the future looks promising for increased trade and economic integration between China and Europe.