The China-Europe Railway Express in Baotou departs on Jan 28. [Photo/WeChat account of Baotou Daily]

The China-Europe Railway Express departed Baotou International Land Port on Jan 28, carrying 55 crates of cargo bound for the city of Yekaterinburg in Russia – a run covering a distance of over 6,000 kilometers.

The shipment consisted of 30 sets of so-called knock down or KD parts for fire trucks – a complete set of components, enabling the trucks to be assembled on the other side. It was the first batch of such parts to be exported to Russia by Beiben Trucks Group Co.

"Previously, our KD parts exported by sea freight took 45 days to two months," said Wang Tiesheng, general manager of Beiben Trucks.

"The operation of the China-Europe Railway Express will improve logistics efficiency and reduce transportation costs," he added.

This year, Beiben plans to export over 300 sets of KD parts via the China-Europe Railway Express.

Chinalco Logistics Group Inner Mongolia Co is the operator of the China-Europe Railway Express in Baotou. Liu Yanwen, assistant general manager of the company, was bullish about future prospects.

"Next, we will operate the China-Europe Railway Express from Baotou to Russia on a regular monthly basis," he said.

All in all, the successful operation of the China-Europe Railway Express is expected to promote the expansion of international markets for outward-oriented businesses in Baotou.