Direct Freight Railway Route from China to Afghanistan Launched via Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
On Monday morning, a freight train departed from Tuanjiecun Station in Chongqing to Hairatan, Afghanistan, marking the launch of the first direct railway route connecting this southwestern Chinese metropolis with Afghanistan.
The train, carrying 55 containers of telecommunications equipment produced by Chinese telecom giant ZTE, will cross the national border at the Khorgos checkpoint in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (northwest China) and reach its final destination in Hairatan via Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The entire journey is expected to take 12 to 15 days.
According to reports, the transported cargo will be used to support the construction of Afghanistan's local telecommunications networks, contributing to the country's social and economic development.
"With the use of the direct railway freight scheme, transportation time will be reduced by 3 to 5 days compared to road transport, while logistics costs are expected to decrease by 15 to 20 percent. This will enhance the security and efficiency of cargo transportation and delivery," said Liu Jianfeng, a representative of ZTE.
So far, over 18,000 freight trains have traveled between Chongqing and various destinations along the China-Europe and China-Central Asia international railway freight routes, according to local authorities.
The successful launch of this direct freight route will further strengthen trade and economic cooperation between Chongqing and Afghanistan, as well as with other Central Asian countries, noted an official from the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe Supply Chain Management Company.