China has launched a new regular freight train route from Chongqing Municipality in the southwest to Central Asia. A train carrying polyester chips made in Chongqing departed for Uzbekistan on April 20. It will reach the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, in about 12 days, covering approximately 4,700 kilometers. The new route is expected to reduce transportation time between Chongqing and Central Asia by 30 percent.