The launch of a Yuxinou rail freight service from the Chinese city Chongqing via the Alashankou border crossing in Xinjiang through Central Asia to Europe in March 2011 launched a new era for freight on rail as an alternative to shipping by sea or air. China-Europe rail cargo transport has subsequently gained rapid development, incentived by the rollout of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The importance of China’s rail link to Europe was highlighted in a white paper issued by the Chinese government in March 2015 entitled Cooperating to Build a Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road – Vision and Actions.
There are currently 40 service lines running through Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Northeast border crossings to destinations in Central Asia, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe. A total of 12，000 trains have been run between China and Europe until the end of 2018.
The “China Railway Express” service, seen as the “Belt and Road on rail,” helps boost connectivity between China and the rest of Eurasia. An interconnected network has begun to replace uncoordinated individual cargo lines. In addition to offering freight transport solutions, it contributes to flows of global investment, resources, technology and skilled personnel, and facilitates global cross-sector collaboration
