"Zhongyu" China-Europe freight trains have made more than 1,000 trips since this January, accounting for one tenth of the national total, said a source from Zhongyu International Port Group on August 22.
A China-Europe freight train in Zhengzhou, Henan. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]
"So far, 'Zhongyu' China-Europe freight trains have reached more than 130 cities of over 30 countries in the European Union, Central Asia, Russia and Asian-Pacific region, providing17 international direct routes." According to Kang Yan, deputy general manager of Zhengzhou International Hub Development and Construction Co Ltd of Zhongyu International Port Group, the marketization and sustainability of "Zhongyu" China-Europe freight trains have been at the forefront of China while its comprehensive capability of the "first phalanx".
On April 16, Henan named all its China-Europe freight trains "Zhongyu". On the same day, 6 "Zhongyu" freight trains left Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Xinxiang, Luohe and Nanyang for Europe, Central Asia and the RCEP member countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. The number of China-Europe freight trains running in Henan increased from 13 in 2013 to 1,508 in 2021, with an average annual growth of 90 percent. An international logistics network featuring multiple destinations and ports and a "1+N" logistics hub system help to smooth the international logistics corridor linking Zhengzhou with Europe, Central Asia, the ASEAN countries, Japan and South Korea, hence the realization of diversity and wide coverage of the railway network.
China-Europe freight trains have never been suspended in Henan even during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Zhongyu" China-Europe freight trains, linking Zhengzhou with Hamburg of Germany, Liege of Belgium, etc., have been running smoothly since its first launch, which has not only made the Asia-Europe supply chain efficient with stable, reliable and efficient logistics services, but also reduced the impact of the COVID-19 on China-EU industrial and supply chains.
"'Zhongyu' China-Europe freight trains have opened up an international logistics corridor connecting Henan with the Eurasian continent, which has helped to overcome the province's geographical disadvantages - being away from borders, seas and waterways - reduced the costs and improved the quality and quantity of Henan's foreign trade," said Kang Yan. (Chinese source: Henan Daily Reporter: Hu Shutong Translator: Zhao Hanqing Intern: Zheng Shuyang Poster: He Menghe Proofreader: Zhang Junping)
