Since the beginning of 2024, there has been a noticeable increase in freight transport between China and Europe through two key border crossings — Khorgos and Alashankou at the Alatau Pass in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Expansion of Freight Transport between China and Europe

According to Xinhua agency, from January to early April 2024, more than 4,000 freight trains were sent across the border with Kazakhstan towards China — Europe.

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Customs statistics from Urumqi show that by April 12, 2024, the number of trains passing through these border crossings since their opening has exceeded 72,000.

The success in organizing these transports was aided by the transition to paperless technologies for information exchange between customs services and railway companies, significantly speeding up the customs clearance process.

At the Alatau border crossing for freight trains heading towards China — Europe, a special simplified customs control regime has been established, greatly speeding up this procedure.

With the increase in transport volumes, the list of transported goods has also become more diverse. Now, in addition to clothing items, the shipments include large equipment, automobiles, lithium batteries, and other cargoes.

At present, freight trains passing through the Alatau crossing operate on 118 routes towards 21 countries, and through Khorgos on 80 routes, covering 45 cities in 18 countries.

This growth indicates a gradual expansion of the geography and scale of this transport route, which plays a key role in the development of trade and economic ties between China and European countries.

Photo: Xinhua

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