SHANGHAI — China's economic hub of Shanghai launched a freight-train service to Hamburg, Germany, on Sept 28, marking the first cross-border railway service between Shanghai and Europe.

The "Shanghai Express," loaded with 50 containers of goods including apparel, auto parts, and solar panels, will travel more than 10,000 km in two weeks before arriving in Hamburg, according to Shanghai Customs.

The train will leave China via the Alataw Pass in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and travel by way of Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus and Poland.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of friendly relations between Shanghai and Hamburg. More trains are expected to operate along the route in the future.

Pan Hua, chief representative of the Hamburg Liaison Office China, said the launch of the train service will facilitate the economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between China and Germany, Europe and other countries along the route.