First freight train leaves for Belarus

China Railway's first express freight service linking Shijiazhuang, capital of northern China's Hebei province, with Europe began on Saturday with the departure of a train bound for the Belarusian capital Minsk.

The train was loaded with 41 containers carrying more than 1,100 metric tons of goods worth 32 million yuan ($5 million), according to a statement posted on the Shijiazhuang government's WeChat account on Sunday.

The goods, produced by companies in Shijiazhuang, included mechanical equipment, clothing, shoes and construction materials.