Xinjiang distribution center sends 3,000th China-Europe cargo train

A total of 3,000 cargo trains have been operated from a distribution center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to cities of Europe and Central Asia.

A train carrying daily necessities, electric appliances and clothing on Thursday left the Urumqi distribution center that was specifically built for the operations of China-Europe cargo trains, becoming the 3,000th train departing from the center.

The train will travel more than 60 hours to arrive at Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan.

Affected by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, abundant cargo storage was waiting to be delivered, and the center has arranged around-the-clock shifts since March to shorten the loading time, said Nan Jun, deputy general manager of the Xinjiang great land bridge group, operator of the center.

March saw a surging transport demand, and the warehouse had stored 140 containers and 3,780 tonnes of cargo, including daily necessities, clothing, electric appliances and farming supplies, such as PVC pipes and irrigation machines, said Su Yujin, a logistics manager of the group.

"All the cargo will be delivered to Central Asia or Europe by train," he said.

Since its operation in May 2016, the distribution center has become Xinjiang's only departure site of China-Europe cargo trains, which have reached 23 countries and regions in Europe and Central Asia.

According to Nan, the center has planned to operate more than 1,000 trains this year.