A China-Europe freight train departed from the logistics base of Hefei North Railway Station for Budapest, Hungary, on July 29, 2022. Photo: Xinhua

China State Railway Group (China Railway) announced on Tuesday that the number of China-Europe Railway Express services operated in 2023 reached 17,000, up 6 percent year-on-year. The rise in freight train trips reflects deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and partner countries.
 
In 2023, 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers were shipped via the China-Europe Railway Express, making it an important trade route across the Eurasian continent.
 
In line with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, China Railway made significant progress with construction along the Silk Road Economic Belt.
 
The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway was another of China Railway's most notable achievements in the past year. As of December 24, 2023, the railway had transported over one million passenger trips, according to a joint venture established by China Railway and Indonesia.
 
In 2023, the China-Laos Railway celebrated its second anniversary, with 4.22 million tons of freight transported via the railway in 2023, an increase of 94.91 percent year-on-year, demonstrating its vital role as an international corridor, according to data from Kunming customs.
 
Along with the safe operation and construction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway, China-Europe Railway Express is connecting Europe and Asia with freight trains, facilitating trade under the BRI.
 
Additionally, the new western land-sea corridor, which connects western China with Southeast Asia and beyond, has seen a significant increase in train services. A total of 860,000 TEUs were shipped via the corridor in 2023, marking impressive year-on-year growth of 14 percent.
 
China Railway also highlighted the company's contributions to poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. Rail infrastructure investment in poor and remote areas as well as areas that have been lifted out of poverty in 2023 totaled 407.6 billion yuan ($56.9 billion). The investment enabled 22 counties to gain access to railway transportation, marking an important milestone in connecting these regions to the national transportation network.