Test China-Europe freight train debuts in Guizhou

The first test freight train of China Railway Express (Guizhou), a railway connecting China and Europe, set off from Gelaoba station in Zunyi, Southwest China's Guizhou province, on Sept 28.

The train will transport 50 containers of Guizhou tea to Kazakhstan's Alma-Ata through Horgos in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The tea totals nearly 300 metric tons and is worth $13.45 million.

As a prefecture-level city with the largest tea planting area in China, Zunyi has one third of Guizhou's tea farms, totaling more than 2 million mu (133,333.33 hectares).

In the past, Zunyi's tea has mainly been resold to other countries through markets in East and South China. This is the first time that Guizhou has attempted to establish direct foreign trade for its tea industry.

Guizhou has not only realized the logistical connection between the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, but has also improved unified logistical management.

It is estimated that by the end of September this year, Guizhou will operate 121 trains on railway-ocean combined transport routes, maintain an operation frequency of three trains per week, and operate 21 China Railway Express (Guizhou) test trains to multiple countries such as Germany, Russia, Poland and Kyrgyzstan.

The China Express Railway test freight trains are expected to promote Guizhou's tea industry development, and help other products such as guitars and baijiu to enter markets in Europe and Central Asia.