Alataw Pass: Pivotal land port on the Belt and Road

Alataw Pass, a primary land port on the China-Kazakhstan border, is located in China's far western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. As one of the busiest land ports on the Belt and Road, it plays an integral role in supporting the freight train service between China, Central Asia and Europe.

Since 2011, the land port has overseen more than 32,000 China-Europe freight train trips. On average, it manages around 17 inbound and outbound China-Europe freight trains per day, with a maximum daily capacity of 24 trains.­­­­

So far, Alataw Pass has launched 109 China-Europe freight train routes, establishing links with over 20 countries across Central Asia and Europe.

A China-Europe freight train departs from Alataw Pass in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Xian Jiangnan)

Alataw Pass, a primary land port at the China-Kazakhstan border, is situated in the far west of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Xian Jiangnan)

A photo shows a freight train running at Alataw Pass, a major rail port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Yu)

A container gets transported onto a train at a transfer station at Alataw Pass in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Xian Jiangnan)

A worker inspects goods at a transfer station at Alataw Pass in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Xian Jiangnan)

A photo shows freight train containers at a transfer station at Alataw Pass in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 24, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Xian Jiangnan)