On the morning of October 20, the inaugural “China-Europe Railway Express – CIIE Special Train” (referred to as “CIIE Special Train”) successfully arrived at the Shanghai Railway Logistics Center’s special line in Minhang, under the China Railway Shanghai Group Co. According to reports, the goods showcased at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) have been arriving in Shanghai via the China-Europe Railway Express for four consecutive years.
The primary purpose of the CIIE Special Train is to facilitate the transportation of products for the expo. This particular train carried cosmetics and machinery, departing from Duisburg, Germany. It passed through Poland, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, and entered China via the Alashankou Railway Port, covering over 11,000 kilometers in just 21 days. The train transported 76 standard containers (TEU) with a total cargo value of nearly 100 million RMB.
The China-Europe Railway Express is a flagship initiative of the Belt and Road Initiative, offering advantages such as all-weather service, large cargo capacity, green low-carbon options, and safety, making it a preferred choice amongst clients from various countries along the route. Since the launch of the first CIIE Special Train in 2021, it has been closely associated with the CIIE, providing a new channel for businesses from Europe and surrounding regions to exhibit their products in Shanghai, effectively transforming exhibit items into commodities. Over the past three years, Shanghai has organized four CIIE Special Train services, delivering exhibits for the fourth, fifth, and sixth editions of the expo.
This year marks the eleventh anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. To support the seventh CIIE, relevant departments plan to operate four CIIE Special Trains, which will carry approximately 300 containers with a value exceeding 380 million RMB, further amplifying the expo’s spillover effects. Currently, starting points for the CIIE Special Train include Duisburg and Hamburg in Germany, as well as Malaszewicze in Poland, establishing a vital transportation link for European exhibits participating in the CIIE.
As of now, the Shanghai China-Europe Railway Express has successfully completed 244 trips (including routes towards Central Asia), transporting nearly 25,000 containers, with a total cargo weight of approximately 220,000 tons and a total value surpassing 8.5 billion RMB. The service connects over 120 cities across 13 countries in Europe and Asia, extending its reach to other nations along the way.
