URUMQI — Horgos Port in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has handled 4,900 China-Europe freight trains this year as of Oct 10, according to local railway authorities.

The railway department of Horgos said that, from January to September, the port handled 4,748 China-Europe freight trains, up 34.3 percent year-on-year.

The total rail freight volume in Horgos, China's closest port to Central Asia and Europe by land transport, reached 6.8 million tons, up 48.5 percent year-on- year. This included an export freight volume of more than 3.9 million tons, up 32.7 percent year-on-year.

There are currently 44 freight train lines passing through the port, linking 45 cities in 18 countries.

Alataw Pass, another major rail port in Xinjiang, handled 4,510 China-Europe freight trains between Jan 1 and Oct 6 this year, said local railway authorities.