GUANGZHOU — The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area launched its first freight-train route to ASEAN countries on May 25.

A freight train loaded with goods worth about $94,400 departed from Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, on May 25. The train will take about four days to reach its destination, the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

Sinotrans Ltd, one of the route's operators, regards the international freight-train service as an important channel to ensure the smooth operation of the global supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020 alone, the company conducted 1,580 freight-train trips, carrying 157,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of goods, with cargo volume up 23 percent, according to Sinotrans.

As the first freight route between the two regions, the new service is also expected to boost the high-quality development of countries and regions along the Belt and Road, the company said.