BEIJING — The China-Europe freight-train service has handled 7,377 trips in the first half of this year, up 43 percent from the same period last year, data from the China State Railway Group showed.

The freight trains have carried about 707,000 20-foot equivalent unit containers of goods in the six-month period, surging 52 percent year-on-year.

Launched in 2011, the freight trains have reached 168 cities in 23 European countries and recorded more than 40,000 trips, according to the group.

The freight trains have played a crucial role in stabilizing the international logistics supply chain, promoting Sino-European trade and helping with the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around 94,000 metric tons of anti-pandemic supplies were sent through the route as of late June, official data showed.

In 2020, the freight trains made 12,406 trips, up 50 percent year-on-year.