The first train carrying containers pulls out of a logistics terminal jointly built by China and Kazakhstan in Lianyungang City, east China’s Jiangsu province, Feb 25, 2015. The railway line, linking China’s Lianyungang and Kazakhstan’s Almaty will be a new path for goods from central Asian countries to go overseas and a boost to the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt.[Photo/Xinhua]
NANJING — China has opened a cargo train service linking eastern city port of Lianyungang and Almaty, the financial and technological hub of Kazakhstan.
The first train of nearly 100 containers left Lianyungang in east China’s Jiangsu province on Feb 25 and will arrive in Almaty in 12 days.
The first train carrying containers pulls out of a logistics terminal jointly built by China and Kazakhstan in Lianyungang City, east China’s Jiangsu province, Feb 25, 2015. The railway line, linking China’s Lianyungang and Kazakhstan’s Almaty will be a new path for goods from central Asian countries to go overseas and a boost to the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt.[Photo/Xinhua]
Two trains will depart each week, passing through Khorgos in Xinjiang, said Liu Bin, general manager of China-Kazakhstan logistics international.
The train will carry medical supplies, auto parts, daily necessities and electronic products from southern parts of China, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea.
Two trains will leave Almaty for Lianyungang each week carrying ferroalloy, potash fertilizer and wheat, he added.
The first train carrying containers pulls out of a logistics terminal jointly built by China and Kazakhstan in Lianyungang City, east China’s Jiangsu province, Feb 25, 2015. The railway line, linking China’s Lianyungang and Kazakhstan’s Almaty will be a new path for goods from central Asian countries to go overseas and a boost to the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt.[Photo/Xinhua]
“The transportation time and cost can both be reduced by the cargo train, which will boost the proposed Silk Road economic belt and the economies of the countries along the belt,” Liu said.
Regular cargo train services linking China and other countries are already in operation. Last November, a cargo train service linked the eastern city of Yiwu, the world’s largest wholesale market for small consumer goods, with Madrid in Spain.
Last April, the first regular cargo train left southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality for Duisburg in Germany.
The first train carrying containers pulls out of a logistics terminal jointly built by China and Kazakhstan in Lianyungang City, east China’s Jiangsu province, Feb 25, 2015. The railway line, linking China’s Lianyungang and Kazakhstan’s Almaty will be a new path for goods from central Asian countries to go overseas and a boost to the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt.[Photo/Xinhua]
