Changsha sees good start in China-Europe freight train service in Q1

On April 10, at the container yard of the Changsha International Railway Port, sirens blew, trucks shuttled back and forth, and huge gantry crane arms were lined up. Containers were hoisted onto the platforms of China-Europe freight trains (Changsha) for shipment.

The China-Europe freight train service in Changsha maintained its strong momentum of growth in the first quarter of 2022. A total of 263 China-Europe freight trains were operated during the January-March period, up 71.9% year-on-year. The trains transported 22,720 TEUs of goods worth 652 million US dollars.

Under the dual impact of COVID-19 and the international situation, Changsha’s stable and high-quality China-Europe freight train service has facilitated the city to achieve a good start in the first quarter, and effectively guaranteed the smooth trading of Hunan’s imports and exports.

From January to March, China-Europe freight trains (Changsha) travelled along the outbound routes to Malaszewicze, Minsk, Moscow and Central Asia, and the inbound routes from countries including Russia. There were 69 trains running on the Belarus Minsk route, with 5 to 6 trains operated every week. This has made the route a national popular one.

Belarus and Poland were Changsha’s main exporters. The export volume accounted for 80% of the city’s export value, up 31.92% compared with the same period last year.

From January to March, Russia was Changsha’s main source of import on the inbound routes of China-Europe freight trains (Changsha). The import value constituted 99% of the city’s import value, an increase of 186.38% compared with the same period last year.

Exports mainly included auto parts, construction machinery products, plastic toys and daily necessities, while imports included wood mainly. Goods worth 652 million US dollars were shipped in the first quarter. Among them, the export of high value-added products further enhanced the market recognition of China-Europe freight trains.

In the first quarter, 156 outbound trains and 107 inbound trains were operated. The ratio was close to 1.45:1, making a more balanced performance. In order to ensure the smooth flow of the international supply chain of Hunan’s manufacturing industry, 12 special trains dedicated to manufacturing were launched for enterprises including Geely during the January-March period. The goods were valued at 28.29 million US dollars.

Translator: Kuang Zhenzhen