An aerial drone photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows a view of the load-transfer yard of Horgos railway port in Horgos, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.  (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

A freight train carrying vehicles worth over 27 million yuan (about 3.82 million U.S. dollars) left Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, for Almaty in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

The departure marked the launch of the first vehicle transport train from Xinjiang to Central Asia, paving the way for deeper economic and trade cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.

The transportation method combines road and rail, reduces logistic costs and time, and is safer compared with other means of transport, according to Yang Guang, deputy general manager of Zhongshiyun (Xinjiang) international logistics company.

As a key hub for China's vehicle exports, Xinjiang is striving to build a modern railway logistics network. So far this year, 83,781 vehicles have been exported through the region's Horgos and Alashankou ports, an increase of 2.9 percent year on year.