History can inspire the future

Barking and Dagenham, one of London's poorest and most neglected boroughs, has found new fame as the most westerly point of China's new Silk Road rail route.

The first train arrived on January 18 after a 12,451-kilometer journey from Yiwu, Zhejiang province, which took in Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France. It carried goods from China and opportunities for Barking.

The rail route is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, and Barking is the new terminus.