NANCHANG — A China-Europe freight train loaded with 1.75 million face masks departed Nanchang, capital of eastern China's Jiangxi province, for Moscow on the afternoon of May 15.

The masks, produced by Fuzhou Meirun Medical Device Technology Co Ltd, are expected to arrive in Moscow in 15 days.

The China-Europe freight train can save more than 60 percent of logistics cost compared with air transportation, and the service remains a reliable transportation channel for anti-epidemic materials during the global fight against COVID-19, said a spokesperson of the provincial department of commerce.

As of May 15, Jiangxi has delivered 1.56 billion masks, 11.24 million protective suits, 507 million pairs of gloves and over 1.87 million thermometers to other countries and regions including Germany, the United States and Belgium by air and train.

The spread of COVID-19 has incurred global traffic restrictions. Under the circumstances that transportation is restricted at harbors and airports, China-Europe freight trains have carried anti-epidemic supplies such as masks, protective suits and ventilators to many countries.

In March and April, China sent 3,142 metric tons of anti-epidemic supplies via China-Europe freight trains to European countries, to assist their fight against the epidemic.