A cargo train runs along the China-Laos Railway. File photo: Courtesy of China Railway Kunming Group

China's cross-border freight train service maintained strong growth momentum during the first five months of 2026, with a total of 15,506 trips made, a year-on-year increase of 12.6 percent, according to data released on Sunday by the national railway operator.

Notably, China-Europe Railway Express operations made 9,331 trips, up 21 percent year-on-year. China-Central Asia freight trains made 6,175 trips, up 2.1 percent year-on-year.

Also, the cross-border freight trains of the China-Laos Railway and the sea-to-rail multimodal transport under the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a key logistics route connecting western China to global markets, both maintained steady growth, China State Railway Group Co said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Sunday.

As of Saturday, the China-Laos Railway had transported more than 10 million tons of freight this year, with an average daily volume exceeding 67,000 tons, and total cross-border freight exceeding 2.5 million tons, according to a separate statement sent to the Global Times by the China Railway Kunming Group on Sunday.

The number of daily cross-border freight trains has increased from two at the beginning of the service to a maximum of 23, and the train traction tonnage has increased from 2,000 tons to 2,800 tons, representing a 40 percent increase in single-train capacity, according to the company.

The promotion of digital technologies and closer coordination with the customs authority in Laos has significantly boosted customs clearance efficiency and shortened stays at border check points, greatly facilitating the trade of fruits and other agricultural products along the route, the company said.

A Chinese expert said that the strong growth of the cross-border overland cargo train service reflected robust foreign trade growth in the period.

Sun Chuanwang, a professor at the School of Economics at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Sunday that the construction of cross-border logistics channels and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has become important new drivers of economic growth.

The large-scale operation of cross-border freight trains has not only significantly reduced logistics costs but also facilitated the domestic and international dual circulation by stabilizing foreign trade and supply chains and reducing dependence on a single market, Sun said.

The alignment of multimodal transport has accelerated customs clearance facilitation and expanded new areas for foreign trade, noted Sun.

Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) spokesperson He Yadong said at a Thursday press conference that China's trade has gained momentum from a diversification drive.

From January to May, foreign trade with Belt and Road markets increased by 13.6 percent year-on-year, accounting for more than 51 percent of total trade. Trade with ASEAN, the EU, Africa, and Latin America maintained double-digit growth, and the "circle of friends" for win-win cooperation is expanding, He said.

Notably, China became the largest trading partner of all Central Asian countries for the first time in 2025, as two-way trade between China and the region exceeded $100 billion to reach a new high, data from the MOFCOM showed in January.

China's national railways transported about 1.67 billion tons of goods in the January-May period, up 1.8 percent year-on-year, data from China State Railway Group Co showed.