A special cargo train – linking Yiwu, a county-level city administered by Jinhua, in East China's Zhejiang province to Madrid in Spain – will soon bring urgently needed goods for European countries after it completes its debut trip.
The first train is reportedly loaded with 100 TEUs – or 20-foot equivalent units – of Yiwu-made products including solar batteries, tablet computers, Christmas decorations and auto parts.
It set off from the Yiwu West Railway Station on Sept 27 and is currently running on the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe cargo line.
The line, which opened in 2014, starts from Yiwu – dubbed China's small commodities hub – and passes through the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China on its way to Madrid.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, air and sea transport have both been restricted since last year, leading to a surge in cross-border rail freight.
As such, the China-Europe railway express has reportedly become an important channel for international logistics transport.
Lu Yunbo, deputy general manager of the operating company said the service would stabilize Yiwu's foreign trade and promote its export growth.
Lu said it would also relieve operating difficulties for small and medium-sized foreign trading companies in the Yangtze River Delta region.
