The first full timetable China-Europe freight train departed from Guangzhou International Port, located in Baiyun District, heading for Warsaw, Poland, via Erenhot Port. This inaugural service marks the debut of a full timetable China-Europe freight train in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and China's first such service departing via Erenhot Port for the entire journey.

Compared to standard China-Europe freight trains, the full timetable service ensures fixed schedules, routes, frequencies, and run times both domestically and internationally. It optimizes operations such as station switching and cargo handover at border ports, achieving seamless integration and significantly reducing transport times. This enhancement aims to better facilitate the smooth flow of international industrial and supply chains.

Operated by Guangdong GW International Logistics of Guangdong GW Holdings Group Co., Ltd., the train will depart every Wednesday from Guangzhou International Port. Covering approximately 11,200 kilometers over a 16-day journey, it can cut transport time by about 30%.

Recent data highlights the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce in China, with a total trade volume reaching 2.38 trillion RMB in 2023. Guangdong province, contributing over 843.3 billion RMB, or more than a third of the national total, saw a year-on-year growth rate of 25.2%, which outpaced the national average by nearly 10 percentage points. In the first quarter of 2024, Guangdong's cross-border e-commerce trade exceeded 200 billion RMB, underscoring its robust expansion as a new engine for foreign trade growth.

In 2023, China-Europe freight trains by Guangdong GW International Logistics transported over 3,400 tons of cross-border e-commerce goods and supported major exporters such as Alibaba and Homa. In 2024, the company plans to expand its operations to Europe with weekly services already established for cross-border e-commerce freight trains.

A staff member from Guangzhou Railway Group said that in the future, they will continue collaborating with Guangdong GW Holdings Group Co., Ltd. to fully organize and operate the China-Europe freight trains with fixed schedules and seamless integration, in order to establish a reliable, efficient, and service-oriented international logistics corridor for foreign trade in the Greater Bay Area.

(cnbayarea.org.cn & GDToday)