Trains linking China, Europe on the fast track for growth

Caravans of camels carrying silk, jewels and spices along the Silk Road are long gone, but cargo trains linking Chinese cities with Europe are taking the ancient road into a brand-new future. Lin Zhengpeng's electronics products used to take 40 days to reach Poland by sea. Now, with a new train route linking Europe and Wuhan City where his company is based, it takes just two weeks.

"Our efficiency with trains is much higher than shipping, and the cost is lower than airfreight," Liu said. A direct freight train linking Wuhan in central China and Lyons in France began running last week.

China now has three rail channels to Europe - a western route through the Alataw Pass in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to Kazakhstan, a middle path via Erenhot to Mongolia, and through Manzhouli in the northeast to Russia. Many cities now have freight trains to European cities including Hamburg, Lyons and Madrid.