Overhead cranes load a train in the Chengdu International Railway Port in the city's Qingbaijiang district.

An aerial view of the Chengdu-Eurasia National (Commodity) Pavilion in the Chengdu International Railway Port.

The first of France's DPD railway express trains sets off from the Chengdu International Railway Port on April 26.

Heavy lorries take goods from the Chengdu International Railway Port.

As an important part of the ancient Silk Road, Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan province has a long history of economic exchange with the rest of the world despite an ancient poem stating that the road to Sichuan is harder than climbing to the heaven.

With the Belt and Road Initiative gaining momentum, Chengdu has created a modern Silk Road by using the China-Europe Railway Express to transform the region's foreign trade landscape.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI and the China-Europe (Chengdu) Railway Express. The inaugural railway express left for Lodz, Poland, in April 2013, which has established a direct link between Chengdu and Europe.

Over the past decade, the trains have garnered international recognition for frequent departures, extensive coverage and efficient transportation.

Transit time for the service has decreased from 22 days during the first year to less than half that today, so that the value and volume of transported cargo have demonstrated a remarkable upward trend.

Official data show that China-Europe Railway Express transportation costs are one-fifth of airfreight, while the transit time is one-fourth of sea transportation.

The trains carry made-in-China and made-in-Sichuan products to European countries and bring back German cars, French wines, Russian wood and Polish beef.

Chengdu International Railway Port serves as the departure point for the China-Europe (Chengdu) Railway Express and other services have been provided to address cross-border logistical concerns and international transit between Sichuan and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

In 2022, the city launched the China-Vietnam Railway Express and the China-Laos Railway Express.

The debut of the Mandalay-Chengdu intermodal train in mid-June marked the opening of a new China-Myanmar route that connects Chengdu to Southeast Asia via the Tengchong Houqiao Port in Yunnan province. It has provided a crucial link between China, Myanmar and the rest of Southeast Asia.

As of mid-2023, the city's international railway express has extended its reach to 30 cities in China and 100 foreign destinations, serving as the hub of a network of rail routes and a land-sea freight distribution that connects Western Europe to the west, Mongolia and Russia to the north, Japan and South Korea to the east, and ASEAN countries to the south.

By the end of April, a total of 22,000 international freight trains departed from Chengdu to other parts of the world.

Port economy

Capitalizing on the benefits of its open port, Chengdu is fostering the growth of its economy. In the city's Qingbaijiang district, 276 projects for rail transportation have been contracted, amounting to a total investment of 175.37 billion yuan ($24.4 billion).

The projects include the TCL Western Intelligent Manufacturing Base, the Eurasian Supply Chain Center, the JD International Southwest Foreign Trade Industry Cluster Center and the DPD Qingbaijiang Global Cross-border E-commerce Goods Distribution Platform.

A representative of TCL Optoelectronics Technology (Chengdu), located in the Comprehensive Bonded Zone of Chengdu International Railway Port, said: "Our company operates the production lines 24 hours a day with our employees working in two shifts. We are poised to promote the production and meet the demands of overseas markets."

The company exports 83 percent of its products. In recent years, overseas orders have shown a consistent upward trend with a primary focus on European countries and regions, including the United Kingdom and Russia. Taking advantage of the logistical benefits offered by the China-Europe Railway Express, the company now ships products to foreign destinations almost every week.

The Chengdu-Eurasia National (Commodity) Pavilion, located within the Chengdu International Railway Port, serves as an open platform for product exhibitions and cultural exchanges with countries involved in the BRI.

It houses 34 distinctive pavilions from Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and other regions, which exhibit and sell a wide range of products, including food and wine, health products, cosmetics and imported automobiles. The annual import transaction value generated by the pavilions exceeds 1 billion yuan.

Since 2016, the Chengdu International Railway Port has taken the lead in utilizing its ports and platforms to facilitate the import and export transportation of more than 25,000 complete vehicles and spare parts.

In the first quarter of this year, the port experienced explosive growth in vehicle imports and exports with a total of 5,061, marking a year-on-year increase of 92.95 percent.

Since a decision by China Railway Corp in September to remove rail transportation restrictions on new energy vehicles, the China-Europe Railway Express has emerged as a preferred option for exporting Chinese NEVs from brands, such as BYD, Nio and Xpeng, due to swift delivery and cost-effectiveness.

Chen Youfu, manager of a Chengdu-based automobile sales company and an NEV exporter, said: "Previously, we relied on sea or road transport for exporting NEVs. With the China-Europe Railway Express, the transportation time has significantly shortened, improving the turnover of funds and reducing the cost for businesses."