First China-Europe freight train (Xi'an) in 2022 heads for Germany

A China-Europe freight train departed from the Xi'an International Port Station in Xi'an – capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province on Jan 1 – headed for the city of Mannheim in Germany.

The freight train is loaded with 50 containers of electronics accessories, garments and clothing. It is the first China-Europe freight train to have departed Xi'an in 2022, adding another major international logistics channel to Europe for Shaanxi.

A China-Europe freight train leaves Xi'an, bound for Mannheim in Germany on Jan 1. [Photo by Zhong Hanlin/Xi'an news network]

With a total journey of 12,808 kilometers, the freight train will leave the country via Manzhouli Port in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, before passing through the city of Saint Petersburg in Russia. The goods will be then transferred by ferry to Mukran Port in Germany and finally arrive in Mannheim by rail in 16-18 days.

The new route has not only provided new high-quality international channels for international logistics and trading companies, but also played an important role in ensuring the stability of the China-European trade and supply chains.

In 2021, the total number of China-Europe freight trains from Xi'an exceeded 3,800, with a total cargo weight of 2.85 million metric tons.

To date, the train has operated on 16 international trunk routes, covering the entire continent of Asia and Europe. Its core indicators – including the number of trips, number of heavy containers and freight volumes – steadily rank in the forefront of the country.