A new freight corridor linking Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, to Central Asia is gathering speed as a home‑appliance train from the port city's manufacturers recently rolled out of Yining Station in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, bound for Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Launched in February and managed by Ili Airport Investment Development Co Ltd in partnership with Ningbo's logistics partners, the Yining-Almaty service has already moved more than 300 containers worth 280 million yuan ($38 million) in its first four months. The containers carry a mix of Ningbo‑made lamps, radiators, umbrellas, toys, photovoltaic panels and vacuum cleaners, along with Japanese and South Korean imports that arrive through Ningbo Zhoushan Port before being re‑exported.

"These products are proving hugely popular with Kazakh consumers," said Wang Sijun, chairman of Ningbo Train-Ship Intermodal Supply Chain Co Ltd. "Each departure is fully booked within days."

Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, situated on the belt that connects China with Central and Western Asia and onward to Europe, serves as the new transit hub. By cutting reliance on the congested Yiwu‑Xinjiang‑Europe rail artery, this new route trims both transit time and costs for Ningbo exporters. Annual throughput is projected to reach 27,000 metric tons, increasing bilateral trade by an estimated 1 billion yuan.

Kazakhstan's role as a key supplier of oil, gas and uranium means the wagons rarely return empty, ensuring a stable backhaul of critical resources. Looking ahead, Wang said that a direct Ningbo Zhoushan Port-Kazakhstan rail service is on the drawing board.

"We aim for door‑to‑door delivery in under seven days, more than 40 percent faster than traditional routes," he said. "It will increase Ningbo's westbound capacity and give the Yangtze River Delta better access to emerging Central Asian markets while accelerating the import of Kazakh minerals and farm goods into eastern China."