WUHAN, July 3 -- Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, handled 560 China-Europe freight trains in the first half (H1) of this year, surpassing 538 trains in the whole year of 2022, local railway authorities said on Monday.

In the first six months of this year, 128 China-Europe freight trains departed from Wuhan, while 432 trains arrived in the city. It recorded a maximum of seven returning trains in a single day, said Liu Hongtao, an official with the cargo department of Wujiashan Station, which is both the departure station and terminal station for China-Europe freight trains launched by Wuhan.

Wuhan launched its China-Europe freight train service in 2012. The city now boasts 48 international logistics channels, connecting 112 cities in 40 countries and regions, making it an important transport corridor for foreign trade companies from home and abroad.

Besides the increasing number of China-Europe freight trains, Wuhan has also seen an increasing range of goods carried by the trains over the years. The major exports include electronic components, auto parts, tea and oranges while the imports from Europe include milk powder, red wine and furniture, according to Wujiashan Station.