New freight train service links Xi'an, Azerbaijan

A China-Europe freight train (Xi'an-Baku) departed from the Xi'an International Port Station in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on Nov 5.

Loaded with 50 containers of exports, including new energy vehicles, steel pipes, and general merchandise, the freight train will leave the country via the Horgos Port in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Then it will travel along the cross-Caspian Sea international transport corridor to the Port of Baku in Azerbaijan, which will take about 11 days.

The new freight train route will greatly reduce overall logistics costs and provide more convenient, fast, and efficient logistics services for Chinese export companies.

Since the initial proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative 10 years ago, China Railway Xi'an Group Co has strengthened cooperation with relevant units and has been increasing the frequency of the freight train.

So far, 17 international trunk lines have been opened, covering major source areas in Europe and Asia.

From January to October this year, the China-Europe freight train (Xi'an) made a total of 4,343 trips, an increase of 22.1 percent compared to the same period last year, and transported 3.84 million metric tons of goods, up 19.9 percent year-on-year.