First China-Europe freight train on broad gauge links Xi'an, Poland

The China-Europe Chang'an freight train (Xi'an-Slawkow) departed from Xi'an Port in Xi'an International Trade and Logistics (ITL) Park on Dec 24, becoming the first direct train on broad gauge to reach the hinterland of Europe.

This marked another solid step for the high-quality operation of the China-Europe Chang'an freight train.

With a total transportation distance of 9,478 kilometers, the freight train will leave the country via Alataw Pass in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, arriving in Slawkow, Poland through Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine. It is expected to take about 10 days to complete its journey.

Before the freight train arrives at Slavkov, it will run on a broad gauge of 1,520 millimeters, which greatly improves the timeliness of transportation. The goods can then be transferred to the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and other Nordic countries through the sea and rail multimodal transportation, according to Dariusz Sikora, member of the board of directors and deputy CEO of PKP LHS, Poland's railway operator.

It is believed that the freight train will further expand a broader market for the development of the outward-oriented economies in Xi'an and Shaanxi province.