The National Development and Reform Commission announced Tuesday that China-Europe freight trains have maintained full-capacity operations for 46 consecutive months as of June 2026, with over 130,000 trips completed.
Since the unified brand launched in 2016, annual trips grew from 1,702 in 2016 to 20,022 in 2025, averaging more than 30% annual growth. More than 130,000 trains have operated, carrying goods worth over $520 billion.
The Xi’an–Duisburg route shortened from 15 days to 11 days. Fixed-timetable trains cut journey times by more than one third and raised container value by over 40%.
Liang Linchong, director-general of the Department of Regional Opening-up of the NDRC, said at a press conference that a digital port system completes customs clearance within 30 minutes. The service has signed nine bilateral and multilateral cooperation documents and hosted two international forums.
