A new China-Europe freight train route was launched on April 13, linking Changsha with Kiev, capital of Ukraine. The first Changsha-Kiev freight train departed from the Changsha North Freight Station of Guangzhou Railway Group that day. This was the official opening of Changsha's first regular direct freight train route to Ukraine.
The train has 50 carriages, carrying goods like furniture, food, machinery, and daily necessities, worth about 1.86 million dollars.
Ukraine is an important seaport and a foreign trade center in Europe. After the new Changsha-Kiev route opened, it takes only 17 days to transport goods from Hunan to Ukraine, nearly 30 days shorter than sea route.
“The new route will help Ukraine to better leverage its advantages as a Eurasian logistics hub, and effectively ease overstocking caused by the congestion at Poland’s Malaszewicze port,” said Sinotrans Hunan Branch deputy general manager Ye Hongbin, who is also general manager of the Central South China International Inland Port Co., Ltd.
Changsha’s China-Europe freight train transport network has been expanding. Changsha has outbound trains to Russia, Minsk, Malaszewicze, Budapest, Central Asia and ASEAN, and inbound trains from Hamburg, Budapest, Central Asia, and Russia. More than 10 routes are operating on a regular basis, with 9 to 12 trips every week. An international multi-modal transport logistics hub covering Europe, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and ASEAN has been built.
Changsha-Europe freight trains had collectively run 171 cargo trips as of April 13 this year, a year-on-year increase of 83.87%.
Chinese source: hunan.voc.com.cn
