Manzhouli Port in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on China-Europe freight train route Photo: China Railway

The cumulative number of China-Europe freight trains via Manzhouli Port in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Suifenhe Port in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province reached 20,000 on Tuesday, a milestone for what's known as the eastern passageways that have been in operation since 2013.

The cumulative cargo volume transported through the eastern passageways reached 1.85 million standard containers, according to a post on the WeChat account of China Railway Harbin Group Co, the operator of China-Europe freight trains on the eastern passageways.

Outbound freight trains via Manzhouli Port and Suifenhe Port, which are known as the eastern passageways, can reach 13 European countries, including Russia, Poland, Germany and Belgium.

Inbound trains can reach more than 60 cities in China, including Harbin in Heilongjiang Province, Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Changsha in Central China's Hunan Province and Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The number of routes has increased from one in 2013 to 22 at present, and the types of goods transported have expanded from electrical products to 12 categories, including general merchandise, industrial machinery, metals and agricultural goods.

In 2021, the two ports saw 4,782 China-Europe freight trains and handled 459,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs). So far in 2022, the number of freight trains has surpassed the benchmark of 5,000, a new high, said the operator.

The efficiency level of the eastern passageways has improved over the years. The general cargo transport capacity in July increased by 36.5 percent over the level in 2021, said China Railway Harbin Group Co.

The travel time of the freight trains departing from Manzhouli Port has been reduced from 24 days to a minimum of 15 days.

More foreign trade enterprises are using these trains, which have given birth to many new logistics and industrial parks in cities near the two ports.

The smooth operation of the trains since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has helped ensure the security of global industrial and supply chains, the company said.

The market value, economic significance and important role of China-Europe freight trains have been widely recognized by countries and regions along the routes and countries taking part in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, it said.

Global Times