China-Europe freight trains connect Wuxi with Central Asia

A freight train leaves Wuxi and heads for Central Asia on Aug 13, 2022. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]

Aug 13 marks the first anniversary of the Wuxi-Central Asia freight trains, which have helped more and more enterprises in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, export their products.

Last year, 16 Wuxi-Central Asia freight trains carrying 1,294 TEUs of cargo and 27 rail-sea intermodal trains delivering 2,200 TEUs of cargo departed from the West Wuxi Railway Station.

West Wuxi Railway Station Logistics Park. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]

In the first six months of this year, the railway station saw the departure of 26 Wuxi-Central Asia freight trains loaded with 2,154 TEUs of cargo worth about 460 million yuan ($63.19 million), double last year's amount.

"The China-Europe trains saw strong momentum in August," said Teng Ben, manager of the market department at Wuxi International Freight Train Co Ltd, "Take Little Swan for example; the home appliance manufacturer has added more stops, including Novosibirsk in Russia."

A bird's eye view of the West Wuxi Railway Station Logistics Park. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]

In the first seven months of this year, 30 China-Europe freight trains left Wuxi, and the city has been looking to operate return trains from Russia and Central Asia to deliver raw materials such as mineral products back to China and reduce costs.

The Wuxi International Railway Logistics Center in the West Wuxi Railway Station Logistics Park is currently under construction and will be put into operation in the third quarter. After its completion, the scale of the goods yard will increase threefold and zero latency in customs clearance will be realized.