China-Europe Railway Express Freight Volume Rises 25 Percent

China's foreign trade sector continues to exhibit remarkable resilience, significantly boosting the Belt and Road Initiative while enhancing international logistics through the China-Europe Railway Express.

In the first two months of this year, the China-Europe Railway Express completed 3,501 freight trips, transporting 352,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of goods. This marks a year-on-year increase of 32 percent in the number of trips and a 25 percent rise in the overall volume of goods, according to data released by China State Railway Group Co.

The surge in activity corresponds with a robust double-digit increase in trade between China and the European Union. This dynamic underscores the growing economic ties between the two regions amid ongoing global uncertainties.

Trade between China and the EU has escalated by 19.9 percent year-on-year, reaching 998.94 billion yuan, equivalent to approximately 144.54 billion dollars. This growth surpasses the 18.3 percent increase in China's overall foreign trade during the same period, according to China's General Administration of Customs.

Since the beginning of 2026, railway authorities have made significant strides in improving the operation of the China-Europe freight train services. Enhanced coordination and optimized scheduling have been implemented to better align operations with market demand, as stated by China State Railway Group Co.

At Alashankou Port, located in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the number of freight trains serving the China-Europe and China-Central Asia routes increased by 24.1 percent year-on-year, totaling 1,498 trains as of March 5, according to the China Railway Urumqi Bureau Group.

The data vividly illustrates the impressive growth trajectory of the China-Europe Railway Express at the year's start, characterized by enhancements in both the quantity and quality of service, as noted by expert Sun Chuanwang from Xiamen University.

This growth reflects sustained demand in markets along the China-Europe route, confirming the superior advantages of the railway concerning timeliness, stability, and cost-effectiveness.

The positive performance of the China-Europe Railway Express not only signifies the resilience of China's foreign trade sector but also lays a robust foundation for the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative this year.

The state railway operator announced its commitment to advancing a high-efficiency transportation system, establishing a safety management framework, and creating a diversified corridor network for the China-Europe Railway Express.

The foreign ministry spokesperson highlighted that the China-Europe Railway Express now connects 128 cities across China to 229 cities in 26 European nations and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.

With trains departing every 30 minutes or less on average, the China-Europe Railway Express operates with remarkable efficiency, playing a crucial role in enhancing economic and trade exchanges between Asia and Europe, thereby bolstering growth within Belt and Road Initiative participant countries.