Over the six‑month period, a total of 11,178 trains were dispatched nationwide, representing a 20% increase compared with the same period last year. The three main corridors — western, central and eastern — operated in a coordinated manner, handling over 5,000, 2,500 and 3,600 trains respectively. Behind these figures lies not only the smooth functioning of the trans‑Eurasian logistics artery, but also the consistent deepening of China’s opening‑up policy and tangible progress in strengthening cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Upgrading the structure of cargo flows
The composition of goods being transported has undergone qualitative changes. While construction materials and light industrial products dominated in the early stages, the current structure is fundamentally different. Machinery and hardware products now account for stable volumes, while the share of high‑tech, high‑value‑added items — including photovoltaic modules, smart terminals, automotive parts and new‑energy vehicles — is steadily increasing. Rising demand for Chinese household appliances during the summer heatwave in Europe provided an additional boost to export shipments. Through the Khorgos port on the western route alone, more than 2,000 air conditioners were dispatched daily, becoming a notable factor underpinning the stability of foreign trade performance.
Differentiated development of the three corridors
Each of the three routes is being developed according to its specific advantages, collectively shifting the focus from simply expanding volumes to improving efficiency and service quality. The western corridor relies on two major border crossings, Alashankou and Khorgos, and maintains a solid throughput base. Through Alashankou, 3,700 trains passed in the first half of the year, an increase of 22.7%, while the total number of trains on the European and Central Asian directions approached 10,000. The eastern corridor shows the highest growth momentum: the ports of Tongjiang and Suifenhe increased throughput by 290% and 118% respectively, ranking first among the country’s six largest border crossings. The central corridor, via the Erenhot port, is steadily expanding its capacity, with freight turnover growth outpacing the growth in the number of trains. This structural change indicates a transition from quantitative indicators to comprehensive service improvement, thereby strengthening the resilience of production and supply chains.
Digitalisation accelerates customs procedures
The introduction of digital solutions and institutional innovations has significantly reduced border clearance times. At the Erenhot port, a key node of the central corridor, the 95306 digital system has been launched on the basis of pilot free‑trade zone preferences, along with the introduction of a «railway fast‑track» clearance model and a fully paperless document flow. Inter‑agency data‑sharing barriers have been removed, and a unified dispatching system has been established on the China‑Mongolia border section, ensuring real‑time exchange of information on cross‑border wagon flows and current cargo balances. As a result, customs clearance time has been cut to 30 minutes, with 13 trains passing through stably every day.
Optimisation of the business environment at border crossings
Comprehensive measures are being implemented at all major border stations to reduce logistics costs for businesses. The Khorgos customs authority has introduced a package of special support measures, set up «green corridors» and expedited inspection windows, ensuring round‑the‑clock uninterrupted clearance. At the Manzhouli and Alashankou ports, intelligent supervision systems are being actively developed, inspection, examination and transhipment procedures are being simplified, and digital tools are helping to reduce transaction costs. The practices developed so far can already serve as a basis for establishing ports that meet top‑tier international standards.
Transformation of the transport network
Years of development have elevated the three main corridors into a large‑scale and extensively ramified transport system, noticeably reshaping the trade and economic geography of Eurasia. In the central corridor, the Erenhot port operates 76 regular routes, covering more than 70 stations in ten countries and linking all major freight‑generating centres in China. In the west, the Khorgos port handles 91 routes reaching 46 regions in 18 countries, with the list of carried goods exceeding 200 items, and for the sixth consecutive year its throughput exceeds 10,000 trains. The eastern corridor, via three border crossings, forms a dense network, with nearly 3,000 trains passing through it in the first half of the year. Such an extensive railway infrastructure has helped overcome geographical constraints for inland cities, enabled direct consolidation of cargo shipments in the central, western and northeastern regions for subsequent export, and thereby contributed to the effective functioning of the dual circulation — both domestic and international.
Over a period of more than a decade, China‑Europe trains have evolved from isolated services into a fully‑fledged network structure. Since the departure of the first train through the Erenhot port in 2013, the total volume of traffic via this crossing has exceeded 25,000 trains, symbolising the transition from tentative first steps to stable and reliable operations. As coordination mechanisms for cross‑border railways with Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan continue to mature, the three corridors will develop in even closer interconnection, adding further momentum to the «Steel Silk Road» and strengthening China’s contribution to the high‑quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.
