A Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight train runs from the Yiwu Railway Station. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

A Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight train loaded with 100 twenty-foot equivalent units of textile products, mechanical equipment, fitness equipment, and daily necessities left the Yiwu Railway Station on Jan 5 for Central Asia.

It was the 50th train to depart from the Yiwu platform of the China-Europe freight train in 2023.

The growing international reach of Yiwu and its commodities is largely due to the innovative initiatives that have been implemented by Chinese authorities over the years, among them the opening of the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe cargo train network, also known as the China-Europe Railway Express freight train service.

Since the Yiwu platform, which specializes in international freight train services, was unveiled in 2013, it has handled a total of 5,024 trains carrying over 416,000 TEUs of goods.

Furthermore, 18 direct international railway freight lines from Yiwu to 101 overseas stations in more than 50 countries and 160 cities are now operating.

In 2022, the Yiwu platform of the China-Europe freight train operated a total of 1,569 trains carrying over 129,000 TEUs of goods, an increase of 22.8 percent year-on-year. The Yiwu platform operated over four trains per day in 2022.