Xi'an freight trains ship 34,000 cooling appliances to Europe this year

More than 34,000 refrigeration appliances have been shipped to 15 European countries via the China Railway Express (Xi'an) this year, as surging demand driven by persistently high temperatures across Europe pushes exporters to favor the rail route's speed and cost advantages over sea and air freight, according to local authorities.

A train loaded with air conditioners departed Xi'an International Port Station in Shaanxi province on Monday, bound for Mannheim, Germany, with an expected transit time of 12 days, 70 percent faster than sea transport and at roughly one-fifth the cost of air freight.

"The train sets off this week, and the air conditioners can be put on shelves next week, which greatly improves our competitiveness," said Zhang Xiao, deputy general manager of Xi'an International Inland Port Multimodal Transport.