Direct freight train route from China to France launched

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An international freight train departed from Wuhan, the provincial capital of central China's Hubei Province heading for Lyon in France on Wednesday. The railway line directly connects China and France, and is part of the Wuhan-Xinjiang-Europe railway service.

11,000KM IN 15 DAYS

The train was loaded with China-made machinery, electronic products, chemical products and other goods. It will pass some 11,000 kilometers through China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Kazakhstan, and Russia and arrive in Lyon in 15 days later. 

In the past, cargos from Wuhan to France were usually carried via sea transportation, and took around 50 to 60 days, while the new railway service only takes about half month. The first major goods to be transported back to China will be wine and agricultural goods.

NEW BEGINNINGS

The Wuhan-Xinjiang-European railway route opened in 2012, but ceased operations shortly after opening due to a lack of sufficient cargo and railway stations. 

The China-Europe railway service was launched in the April of 2014. It transports goods from China’s Wuhan to some 20 countries in Europe along the “Belt and Road”initiative. Last year, the frequency of the train increased 6 times over 2015, carrying 15,000 cargoes, making it one of the fastest growing railway services in the country. 

“The railway line will become a convenient and economic passage for cargo transportation after it goes into regular service," said Yang Huajun, Vice Director of Transport Commission of Wuhan.