China Launches Freight Train Route
Cargo Transport Time Estimated to Decrease by About 30%
Two Freight Trains Scheduled to Operate Each Month
As China expands its influence in Central Asia, a regular freight train route has begun operating between Chongqing, an inland city in southwestern China, and countries in Central Asia.
According to Xinhua News Agency and Shangyou News on the 21st, a freight train carrying polyester chips, which are used as raw materials for PET bottles, departed from Chongqing for Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan in Central Asia, on the morning of the previous day.
The freight train is expected to arrive in Tashkent, which is about 4,700 kilometers away, in approximately 12 days. The train will exit China via the Khorgos railway port located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and then pass through Kazakhstan.
The newly launched freight train route is estimated to reduce cargo transport time between Chongqing and Central Asia by about 30%. According to China Railway Chengdu Group, two freight trains are scheduled to operate on this route every month going forward.
Xu Meichong, an engineer at China Railway Chengdu Group, told Xinhua News Agency, "With the new freight train route, we can ensure rapid customs clearance, fast transportation, and cost savings, which is expected to comprehensively improve the quality of cross-border transport."
Lin Zheng, logistics manager at the advanced materials company that owns the cargo, explained to Xinhua that the launch of the new freight train route will help the company expand its market in Central Asia. Recently, Chongqing has established itself as a central inland city as the number of freight trains departing for Central Asia and Europe has increased.
As of February, more than 18,000 freight trains were operating on over 50 regular routes connected to Chongqing, and these trains pass through more than 100 key cities and regions in Central Asia and Europe, according to Xinhua.
Central Asia, a region that was formerly part of the Soviet Union, has traditionally been under dominant Russian influence. However, as China has implemented the Belt and Road Initiative, a large-scale infrastructure project targeting Central Asia, and expanded its economic partnerships, it has emerged as one of the key players in the region.
In particular, China's influence has grown even further as the presence of the United States in the region has declined and Russia has become preoccupied with the war in Ukraine that began in 2022.
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