The first freight train traveling from British capital of London to China reached its destination in Yiwu City of east China's Zhejiang Province on Saturday, after a 19-day long journey, according to the China Railway Corporation (CRC).
The trans-continental freight train, loaded with 32 containers, mainly carrying maternity products and soft drinks, departed from London on April 10. Having traveled more than 12,000 kilometers, it passed through seven countries of France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan, before reaching the Chinese manufacturing and trade hub Yiwu where small goods, such as home wares, garments and souvenirs are made.
With the safe, convenient and highly efficient rail route from China to the U.K., the freight trains have helped strengthen the bilateral trade ties and better serve the people and enterprises of the two countries under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, while the route is welcomed by businessmen not only from China, but also from countries along the route.
"On one side, it (the freight train) helps shorten the trading time, or say, the time spent on settling accounts; on the other hand, it extends the selling time for goods. As the period of validity is extended, it has helped promote trade," said Feng Xubin, president of Yiwu Timex Industrial Investment Co. Ltd.
"[The freight trains are] are much much cheaper than air freights, and much more expensive than ocean freights, but you have to look into the lead times. And especially, as I mentioned about the Chinese, we have the Golden Week. We have the Chinese New Year with all the hustle we have, the capacity on the ocean lines. This one is perfect," said Roger Mattsson, tradelane manager of Geodis (China) Co., Ltd., a land transport and logistics operator headquartered in France.
London is the 15th city in Europe added to China-Europe freight train services, while the first Chinese freight train arrived in London in January. China now has express freight services to 28 European cities. Since March 2011, more than 3,500 trips have been made. The figure is expected to rise to 5,000 by the year of 2020.
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