ZHENGZHOU — A freight train departed the city of Shangqiu in Central China's Henan province on Dec 22 to join a China-Europe freight train service in the provincial capital Zhengzhou, launching Henan's first Europe-bound freight train service starting from outside Zhengzhou.

The train's cargo comprises electronic products, electromechanical equipment components, and daily necessities manufactured in the Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces in Central and East China.

It will likely first arrive in Zhengzhou to merge with a Zhengzhou-Europe freight train before arriving in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, the destination of this trip.

According to the Zhengzhou International Hub Development and Construction Co Ltd, which operates freight trains linking Zhengzhou and Europe, more cities in Henan province will join the China-Europe freight train project to improve services regarding the Belt and Road Initiative.

By November, over 3,700 trips were made by the China-Europe freight trains running between Zhengzhou and European cities, handling more than 2 million tonnes of cargo worth $15.6 billion.

Shangqiu, located in eastern Henan province, is one of the largest railway hubs and a modern logistics centers in China.