Europe-bound freight trains from Urumqi exceed 1,000 since 2016

More than 1,000 China-Europe freight trains have made journeys starting from Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, since May 2016, when the Urumqi transport hub opened.

A China-Europe freight train X9081 leaves Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, for Poltava, Ukraine, on Oct. 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

According to the regional railway authority, a total of 314 China-Europe freight trains departed from Urumqi in the first four months of 2018, bringing the total number of trains departing from the transport hub to 1,159.

So far, the Urumqi transport hub has opened rail routes to 24 cities in 17 Europen and Central Asian countries.

With trade volume increasing between China and European countries in recent years, Urumqi has started to offer "point-to-point" customized services to cut transportation costs and time.

The one-stop service integrates customs clearing, inspection and quarantine, train transportation, and freight logistics.