Second cargo train route links Yiwu with Russia

HANGZHOU - A freight train left Yiwu, Zhejiang province, and headed for Moscow Tuesday, marking the second cargo train route linking the east China city with Russia.

Loaded with 50 carriages of small commodities such as bags, socks, and radios, the train will travel 10,150 km via Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia autonomous region and reach Moscow in about 13 days.

This is the second train route between Yiwu and Russia, following one to Chelyabinsk, a logistics and transit hub in the Ural Mountains. It is expected to run two to three times per week by the end of this year.

Yiwu and Russia have seen steady growth in trade in recent years. Exports to Russia rose 13 percent to 3.5 billion yuan ($550 million) in 2017. Meanwhile, imports from Russia totaled just 397,000 yuan. The new route is expected to meet the market demand of surging trade and bring more Russian products to China.

"Moscow is a key trade hub connecting Eurasia with Europe, the regular operation of the train service is expected to help commodities from Yiwu reach more cities in Russia and Europe, and further promote bilateral trade cooperation," said Feng Xubin, chairperson of Timex, operator of the train.