LANZHOU — Workers are performing final checks on the chassis and railcars of a train that will depart next week from Lanzhou, capital of northwest China’s Gansu province, to Minsk in the Republic of Belarus.

The trip will mark the second chartered service via the 7,000 km rail line after cargo service began on Sept 23. The direct link connects the logistics hub of Lanzhou and the China-Belarus Industrial Park, which is under construction in Minsk.

The train service will become regular once the industrial park opens.

Statistics from the Gansu provincial government showed that 63 cargo trains made trips from Lanzhou to Europe and Central Asia during the first nine months of 2016, with goods totaling $108.463 million in value. The goods for export include building materials, machinery equipment, home furnishings and drilling rig accessories.

Xia Hongmin, vice governor of Gansu, said that the international cargo trains have tightened connections between China and countries along the ancient Silk Road while deepening foreign trade.