China-Europe Railway Express Launches Fourth Set of Timetabled Routes, Adding 7 New Lines

XI'AN, November 18 (Xinhua News Agency) – by Zhang Bin

China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. unveiled the fourth set of scheduled timetables for the China-Europe Railway Express on November 18, as it launched seven new routes including a service from Zhengzhou to Hamburg, Germany, during the second China Railway Express Cooperation Forum in Xi'an. The expansion brings the total fixed-schedule routes under the China-Europe Railway Express system to 17, with these services now running more than 1,000 trips annually and linking nine cities in China with six in Europe.

According to details released at the forum, the newly introduced scheduled timetables for the China-Europe Railway Express comprises the following seven routes: Zhengzhou-Alashankou-Hamburg (Germany); Xi'an-Khorgos-Prague (Czech Republic); Jinan-Alashankou-Budapest (Hungary); Chongqing-Alashankou-Budapest (Hungary); Xi'an-Alashankou-Budapest (Hungary); Changsha-Khorgos-Poznan (Poland); and Shijiazhuang-Erenhot-Warsaw (Poland). These scheduled services have dramatically cut their total transit times compared to regular China-Europe Railway Express trains.

A full timetable service enables the China-Europe Railway Express freight trains to run according to pre-arranged train numbers, routes, and schedules, as well as departure/arrival times at its domestic origin, border crossing, and overseas destination, under an agreement among the countries along the route. This model guarantees more predictable transit times, promotes higher quality, better efficiency, and stronger safety, thereby securing greater stability for international supply and industrial chains.

As a critical enabler of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe Railway Express has rapidly woven a dense logistics network across Asia and Europe. Within China, 14 hubs including Xi'an have improved efficient coordination, advancing the service from simple point-to-point trips to an integrated hub-and-spoke model. Beyond China, gateway cities such as Duisburg, Germany, have strengthened their roles, forming a vast network that reaches 232 cities in 26 European countries and over 100 cities across 11 Asian nations.

The China-Europe Railway Express now carries over 50,000 types of goods across 53 categories. From Chinese-made "New Three" categories, including electric vehicles and photovoltaic products, to distinctive European specialties, the network has enabled robust two-way trade, delivering tangible growth opportunities across the region and forging a new chapter of connectivity and shared prosperity between Asia and Europe.