Freight train departs for Uzbekistan on new route

The first transnational freight train departing from Langfang just outside Beijing in Hebei province, on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan route, set off for Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, on Tuesday.

On its 12-day, 6,000-kilometer journey across China and Central Asia, the train operated by China Railway Beijing Group will first stop in Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The 1,000 metric tons of cargo, which mainly consists of steelwork, insulation pipes and pipe trusses, will be transported over a transnational highway and exit the country through Irkeshtam Port and enter into Kyrgyzstan, stopping at Osh where another train will transport it to Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan route is a relatively new one for trade between China and Central Asia, according to Taitong International Transport (Langfang) Co.

"Along the new route, the transportation time will be shortened by at least three days compared with the traditional routes and the logistics efficiency will be improved," said Chu Xuan, chairman of the board of the transportation company. He added it can help reduce transportation costs and relieve congestion at ports.

Also utilizing the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan corridor, a freight train carrying office furniture, air conditioners and other small home appliances, departed from Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, heading to Uzbekistan on Tuesday, marking the 18th international route leaving from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The cargo will also pass through Kashgar, Irkeshtam and terminate in Tashkent, according to the operators.

Compared with the traditional lines, the multimodal international freight service will help save about five days from the GBA to Uzbekistan, providing a more convenient and faster channel for trade between the GBA and Central Asia.

With the rapid increase in trade volume and the intensification of traffic at the Horgos port in Xinjiang, there has been an urgent need to open a new transportation channel to help accelerate the flow of goods between China and Central Asia, according to the operators in Guangzhou.

"It provides a more convenient and fast channel for trade and commerce between China and Central Asian countries," said Chu, the chairman in Hebei, adding that transportation costs will be further reduced when the planned railway connecting the three countries is completed.