In a development for international logistics, a new freight train route has been established between Harbin, the capital of north-east China's Heilongjiang Province, and Tilburg in the Netherlands. This inaugural service, the first to connect the Chinese border province directly with a Dutch city, represents a step forward in China-Europe freight train operations.
The launch of this service comes at a time when China-Europe freight train operations, particularly to and from Heilongjiang, have seen significant growth. According to recent data, in the first two months of this year alone, the number of freight trains and the volume of freight transported increased by 161.5 percent and 151.6 percent respectively compared to the same period last year.
Launched by the China Railway Harbin Group Co., Ltd., the service commenced with a cargo train departing from the Harbin international container center. This train, loaded with 1,300 tonnes of amino acid in 55 containers, embarked on a journey spanning 10,257 kilometers, crossing through the port of Manzhouli. The train will deliver its cargo to Tilburg within 15 days, a much shorter time than traditional sea transport.
"Compared with sea shipping, the new cargo train service will cut short the delivery time by two-thirds with the distance shortened by half," said Liang Chuan, head of the station.
