Under the supervision of Yiwu Customs, the Yiwu-Kadıköy line of the China Railway Express (CRE) freight train was launched on the morning of September 30. This marked the opening of a third route designed to improve transportation efficiency and promote market-oriented growth on the southern routes. It is also the 18th line launched by the Yiwu platform of the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe (YXE) CRE railway system.

This southern route originates at the Yiwu West Station and leaves China through the Horgos Port in Xinjiang to travel overland to the Aktau Port in Kazakhstan. The cargo is then shipped across the Caspian Sea to the Anzali Port in Iran and finally delivered by road to the Turkish port of Kadıköy. Thanks to this line, goods can easily reach the countries of southern Europe, which has a major impact on trade for the whole European continent.

“The opening of this new line of the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe railway will improve the export of goods by increasing the speed of transport from China to Europe. It will effectively meet the needs of the logistic market,” said Ye Qiuran, vice president of operations of the Yiwu-based Timex Industrial.

Thanks to the leadership of both the provincial and local party committees and governments, the YXE CRE recorded 1,193 train departures this year that were managed by the Yiwu platform. Trade volume also increased by 19.7% year-on-year. This was due in part to the overall planning of the Yiwu Market Development Committee which was supported by the Jinhua Railway Freight Center, Yiwu Customs, and the Yiwu International Land Port Group. (By Wu Fengyu, translated by Marco Lovisetto, edited by Daniel Haws)