10,000th China-Europe freight train arrives in Germany

Staff members pose for photos with the first "Shanghai Express" in Hamburg, Germany, on Oct. 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Qing)

HAMBURG, Germany, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The 10,000th fully loaded China-Europe freight train in 2022 arrived here from Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Friday.

At the Eurogate train terminal in Hamburg, the welcome ceremony was attended by Wang Wei, deputy consul general of the People's Republic of China in Hamburg, and Axel Mattern, chief executive officer of Port of Hamburg Marketing.

"This is an important milestone for China's cooperation with Hamburg, Germany and Europe," Wang said.

"The high-capacity connections of the China-Europe goods trains have greatly helped foreign trade in reducing costs and increasing efficiency, and effectively promoted economic development along the route," she added.

Mattern told Xinhua that China is a very important partner of Hamburg and that the China-Europe freight train plays a crucial role in stabilizing the security of supply chain.

"Especially during this difficult time and due to the congestion of the sea route, the China-Europe freight train still functions effectively," Mattern said, adding that he is looking forward to welcoming more trains from China.

The number of China-Europe freight train trips in 2022 reached 10,000 on Aug. 21, 10 days earlier than last year, the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. said.

With 82 routes, the trains now reach 200 cities in 24 European countries, forming a transport network covering the whole of Europe. The trains transport more than 50,000 types of goods across 53 categories, such as automobiles and parts, clothing and accessories, and grain and timber.