Photo: Courtesy of Guangzhou Port

The first China-Central Asia freight train from Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province to Almaty, Kazakhstan departed from port of Guangzhou on Saturday, providing a stable and efficient international logistics channel for goods made in the Pearl Delta - Southern China's manufacturing hub - to go global.

Loaded with a variety of household appliances, hardware products, daily necessities with total value of approximately $1.7 million, the 100 containers on the freight train will exit China via the Khorgos port in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and arrive in Central Asia in 14 days, according to a statement that the Port of Guangzhou sent to the Global Times.

Compared with original transportation routes, the China- Central Asia freight train not only reduces the number of conversions, reduces transportation costs, and improves the efficiency of international cargo transportation, but also widens and deepens the logistics transportation connectivity between Guangzhou and Central Asia.

The trip also marked the 10th China-Europe cargo train trip starting from the Port of Guangzhou.

In April, the Port of Guangzhou launched a combined sea-rail transportation service to Europe.

At the end of the year, a direct freight rail shuttle from Nansha Port in Guangzhou to Europe will be launched. It will open up the "last mile" of sea-rail-bus transportation for China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight trains, a representative of the Port of Guangzhou said.

China-Europe freight-train services have played a significant role in stabilizing international railway logistics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which greatly disrupted sea and air transport services.

A total of 12,605 services carrying nearly 1.22 million containers have operated between China and Europe from January to October, according to China State Railway Group, the national railway operator. The number of trains was up 26 percent year-on-year, while freight volume was 33 percent higher.

Global Times