Regular freight train route links China's Chongqing with Central Asia

A freight train, loaded with polyester chips made in southwest China's Chongqing, departed from the municipality on Sunday morning heading for Uzbekistan, marking the inauguration of a new regular freight train route from Chongqing to Central Asian countries.

The train is expected to arrive in the Uzbek capital roughly 4,700 kilometers away in about 12 days. It will exit China through Horgos Port in Xinjiang and pass through Kazakhstan.

According to China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd., two trains are scheduled each month to depart from Chongqing to Central Asia. Xu Meiqiong, an engineer with the company, told Xinhua that these regular services help ensure faster customs clearance, timely transportation, and reduced costs, thereby improving the overall quality of cross-border logistics.

It is estimated that the regular train route will reduce transportation time between Chongqing and Central Asia by 30 percent.

The cargo on Sunday's freight train was supplied by Chongqing Wankai New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. Lin Zheng, the company's logistics manager, said the launch of the new route will support their efforts to expand into the Central Asian market.

In recent years, Chongqing has been striving to elevate itself into a comprehensive inland hub, with the number of China-Europe freight trains and those heading to Central Asian countries departing from the city, along with cargo volumes, growing.

As of February, more than 18,000 trains covering over 50 regular routes linking the city with European and Central Asian countries have been dispatched, reaching over 100 hub cities and regions across Asia and Europe.