A New Breakthrough for China Railway Express

Since 2011, over 6,000 China Railway Express(CRE) trains have run between China and Europe, offering freight services for more than 60 cities in 28 Asian and European countries. In 2017 alone, the number of train operations surpassed 3,000, equaling the sum of its operations from 2011 to 2016.

In November, 2017, a batch of cold-sensitive electronic goods were loaded into temperature regulated insulation containers and were delivered from Wuhan to Pardubice Region, Czech Republic.This was the first time for a CRE train in Wuhan to deliver industrial goods by means of cold chain transportation.

It’s estimated that it will take a CRE train 18-20 days to run from Wuhan to the Czech Republic. With diesel-electric hybrid power, the containers prepared by the firms could meet the train’s requirements for temperature control on the 20-day trip. This meant, they had realized the visual monitoring of the transportation of electronic products in winter.

As of today, more than 300 CRE trains have traveled between Wuhan and Europe. Equipped with temperature regulating containers, the trains are able to guarantee that the imports and exports of various fresh agricultural products and industrial products, which are highly sensitive to temperature variation, can be transported rapidly by rail along the Belt and Road.

Transport by train can be completed in less than half the time of normal maritime transport. What’s more, it’s more punctual and more reliable.

According to related data, CRE trains from Wuhan excel in three key areas: the volume of return cargo, the cargo value, and the actual load rate. The average actual load rate of return trains reaches 112%. Moreover, the types of imported and exported cargoes accepted for carriage have expanded from the original electronic products, imported foods, timber and paper pulp to small aircrafts, supercars, top grade liquor, and sporting goods. The additional value of the products carried has continued to rise. (Source:Xinhua.net, Hubei Daily)

中欧班列是中国开往欧洲的快速货物列车，已连通亚欧28个国家60多个城市。自2011年以来，中欧班列累计开行数量突破6000列。2017年一年，中欧班列开行数量突破3000多列，相当于2011年至2016年六年的总和。

2017年11月，一批“怕冷”的电子产品装载在中欧武汉班列的冷藏保温箱中，从武汉发往捷克帕尔杜比采，实现中欧武汉班列首次通过冷链运输工业产品至欧洲。

中欧武汉班列从武汉到捷克全程预计18天至20天。企业自备的冷藏保温箱运输拥有柴电混合动力，可满足汉欧班列单程20天冷链运输的温控需求，实现电子产品在冬季运输全程“可视化、可控化”。

中欧武汉班列累计已经发运往返班列300多列。班列配置冷藏箱，保证各类对温度控制要求较高的生鲜农产品、工业产品的货物进出口，都能通过铁路在“一带一路”沿线快速流通。

相对于海运，班列能节约一半以上的物流时间，而且更准点、更有保障。

相关数据显示，中欧武汉班列的回程货量、货值和实载率3项关键性指标全国领先：回程班列平均实载率112%。承运的进出口货物品种，由原来的电子产品、进口食品、木材纸浆扩展到小型飞机、超级跑车、高档酒、体育用品等，运输产品的附加值进一步提升。（综合自新华社、《湖北日报》）