Hunan's freight trains revolutionize global trade connections
- Over 1,000 China-Europe freight train services departed from Changsha in 2024, carrying goods valued at over 19.3 billion yuan.
- The freight trains operate on 12 routes, connecting with 100 cities in nearly 30 countries, with Hunan's connections to Russia ranking No 1 in China for four years.
- The expansion of freight train services has significantly improved logistics efficiency and reduced transport costs, fostering international trade and local economic growth.
In 2024, the province of Hunan in China has witnessed a significant surge in its international trade facilitated by freight trains operating between Hunan and various countries around the world. According to the Department of Commerce of Hunan province, over 1,000 China-Europe freight train services departed from the capital city, Changsha, carrying an impressive worth of over 19.3 billion yuan ($2.63 billion). This marks the fourth consecutive year that the number of freight train services from Changsha has surpassed the 1,000 mark, establishing Hunan as a key player in international trade logistics. The freight train network from Hunan boasts 12 routes that connect to 100 cities in nearly 30 countries across Asia and Europe. Notably, Hunan's freight service to Russia has ranked at the top in China for the past four years. This robust infrastructure facilitates the export of large goods manufactured by heavy industry and vehicle enterprises in Hunan, which have been adjusted to fit into standard containers for overseas transport. For instance, the heavy machinery manufacturer Zoomlion exported 4,800 standard container throughput via these trains last year, achieving a remarkable year-on-year increase of 253 percent. In addition to Europe, Hunan's freight connections to the ASEAN countries and Africa have also thrived, with over 1,000 trips recorded in both categories within the last year. The outbound shipments to ASEAN were valued at around 5.8 billion yuan while those to Africa exceeded 14.7 billion yuan. The logistics efficiency is apparent, with the freight train journey from Zhuzhou in Hunan to Guangdong province taking just 20 hours without any stops, in stark contrast to the previous transportation method, which took 25 to 35 days. The positive impact of these services has been echoed by local businesses. For example, Zhang Ping, the deputy general manager of Hunan Hualian Porcelain Co Ltd, shared that the opening of the Hunan-Guangdong-Africa freight trains has enabled the export of around 1,000 standard container throughput of porcelain to South Africa every month since early 2022. With the expedited logistics and lower costs, it has become increasingly feasible for Hunan's manufacturers to engage in international trade effectively, thus contributing to the province's high-quality economic opening-up.