Xi’an Chanba International Port, the assembly center of China Europe Railway Express (Xi’an). On the freight yard, piles of containers are waiting to be loaded; Not far away, the China Europe freight train sailed towards the distance with the sound of the whistle. Every 100 minutes, a train departs from this land port.
The China Europe Express (Xi’an), which was launched in November 2013, is the first China Europe Express in China since the “the Belt and Road” initiative was put forward.
In just 10 years, from the initial annual operation volume of 46 trains to exceeding 5300 trains by 2023, core indicators such as train operation volume, freight volume, and heavy container rate have taken the lead nationwide. The freight stations that operate trains have also grown from “fourth class small stations” to international logistics hub centers.
This is Xi’an International Port Station located in Shaanxi (drone photo). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen
According to statistics from China Railway Group, from January to June this year, the China Europe freight train (Xi’an) operated 2372 trains, a year-on-year increase of 13.1%; Sending 250000 TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 10.4%.
The reporter’s interview found that behind the sustained year-on-year growth is the vitality continuously released by this Asia Europe “golden channel”, which has also put China’s inland areas at the forefront of reform and opening up.
The relevant person in charge of Xi’an Customs said that with the steady progress of the construction of the China Europe freight train (Xi’an) assembly center, the traction and driving effect of the China Europe freight train on Shaanxi’s westward opening up has become increasingly evident. According to statistics from the customs department, in 2023, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu ranked among the top three in terms of export value for the China Europe freight train, while Shaanxi, Liaoning, and Fujian ranked among the top three in terms of import value.
In the past few years, the top few provinces were all coastal provinces in the east, with Shaanxi only ranking in seventh or eighth place, “said Cui Ying, Director of the Statistical Analysis Department of Xi’an Customs. In recent years, the integration of China Europe freight trains (Xi’an) with local industries and enterprises in Shaanxi has become increasingly high, and the dividends released have significantly enhanced the driving effect on the local open economy. A large number of local enterprises, represented by BYD and Longi Leye, have achieved remarkable results in exporting the “New Three Samples” through the China Europe freight train (Xi’an), fully demonstrating the market’s recognition of the train.
The China Europe freight train departed from Xi’an International Port Station (drone photo). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zou Jingyi
Not only local enterprises, but more and more Chinese made cars, shoes, hats, wireless routers and other products from the eastern and central regions also choose to gather in Xi’an and then take the train for export.
During on-site interviews, several executives from out of town enterprises said that the high frequency of operation, stable transportation time, and increasingly convenient customs clearance and high comprehensive efficiency are the main reasons why they chose to gather and export from Xi’an.
Yuan Xiaojun, General Manager of Xi’an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Co., Ltd., said that with the launch and operation of the China Europe Railway Express (Xi’an) cloud cabin system, data connectivity with domestic customs and railways can be achieved, and intelligent customs declaration and container recycling transportation can be adopted. The operational efficiency of the train can be improved by more than one-third, and the comprehensive cost can be reduced by more than 15%.
With the continuous release of foreign trade potential by galloping trains, this “golden channel” has not only become a strong pivot for Shaanxi’s opening up to the outside world, but is also accelerating the expansion of Shaanxi’s development space to the world. Statistics show that from January to May this year, the total import and export trade value of Shaanxi Province reached 190.83 billion yuan, an increase of 11.5% compared to the same period last year.
The benefits of the “assembly” of the China Europe freight train continue to show, and many countries along the route, especially landlocked countries in Central Asia, have begun to actively connect and cooperate, promoting the China Europe freight train (Xi’an) to accelerate its move towards a new stage of “hub to hub”.
The China Europe intercity rail intermodal train is ready to depart. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Yibo
In February of this year, the Xi’an Port in Kazakhstan, jointly built by China and Kazakhstan, was officially put into operation, serving as Kazakhstan’s commercial and logistics hub in China. With the operation of the terminal, the daily work of Ozas Alibilov, Deputy General Manager of Harbin Railway Express Co., Ltd. China Branch, has become even busier.
With this dock, our goods from Kazakhstan can gather in Xi’an and further take trains south to Guangxi, entering Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand. For us, it has added another economic and trade ‘artery’, “said Ozas Alibilov.
Seeing the potential and opportunities for development, Ozas Abelov decided to settle in Xi’an in September last year, and his three children also studied here. We believe that the prospects for enterprises will be better along this’ artery ‘of the expansion of the China Europe freight train, “he said.
At present, the China Europe Railway Express (Xi’an) has normalized the operation of 17 international trunk lines, covering the entire Eurasian continent, and the number of “+Western Europe” assembly lines has reached 22.