10,000th trip milestone notched for freight trains

DUISBURG, Germany－A freight train loaded with electronic products, mechanical parts and daily necessities, which departed from Southwest China's Chongqing on June 23, arrived in Duisburg, Germany, on Monday.

This marked the 10,000th trip made by China-Europe freight trains operated by the China-Europe Railway Express (Chongqing), the first of its kind in China.

Du Chunguo, the Chinese consul general in Dusseldorf, Markus Teuber, commissioner for China affairs at the Mayor's Office of Duisburg, and Duisport CEO Markus Bangen attended a ceremony held in Duisburg on Monday afternoon.

This is a milestone for China-Europe freight train services and a fresh starting point for the new journey of common development in Eurasia, said Du during his speech.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany.

Du said annual trade volume was less than $300 million between the two countries 50 years ago. "Now, it takes just 12 hours on average to accomplish," he said.

Bangen said Germany and China have extensive economic cooperation, and the past 50 years have witnessed successful cooperation between the two which benefits both. "We look forward to more cooperation in the future," he said.

The city of Duisburg spreads along both sides of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers in western Germany. As one of the destinations for China-Europe freight trains, Duisburg functions as a hub that reaches other parts of Europe.

'Big advantage'

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency earlier this year, Teuber said it was "a big advantage" to have a fast connection between China and Duisburg.

"The meaning extended in the last 10 years of course," he said. " (Receiving) 60 trains per week was important for the port and also for the city because a lot of Chinese companies decided to invest in Duisburg, e-commerce companies, logistics companies, and also the terminals."

Launched in March 2011, the China-Europe Railway Express (Chongqing) has witnessed the transportation of over 1,000 types of goods ranging from smart terminals to whole vehicles, auto parts and medicine, with a total value exceeding 400 billion yuan ($60 billion).

The railway express now operates nearly 40 routes reaching about 100 cities in Asia and Europe.

Last year, the China-Europe freight train services saw rapid growth amid safe and smooth operation, with the number of trips hitting 15,000, according to China State Railway Group.

Xinhua