China-Europe block trains hit 1000 in NE China

A train full of goods bound for Vorsino Station in Moscow, Russia embarked on its maiden trip from Shenyang East Railway Station in Shenyang, provincial capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province on April 20.

The train, operated by Shenyang Bureau Group Co of China Railway, is the 1000th block train running between the Northeast China region and European countries since the launch of the first block train in August 2014.

Loaded with containers of electronic products, machinery parts, bio products, chemical products, auto spare parts and light industrial products, the China-Europe block trains are heading for European countries from Shenyang, Dalian, Yingkou, Changchun and Chifeng via Manzhouli inland port or Erenhot inland port. The destinations include Russia, Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

“Transporting goods by train is not only 20 percent of the cost of air freighting, it also only takes 40 percent of the time shipping by sea does,” said a director of Shenyang Bureau Group Co of China Railway.

For example, it takes over 40 days to transport goods from Dalian to the Netherlands by sea, while the direct China-Europe train takes less than 18 days.