First China-Europe Freight Train (Chengdu-Antwerp) Departs

On August 7, a China-Europe freight train carrying 55 containers departed from Chengdu International Railway Port, passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Germany before arriving at its final destination—Antwerp, Belgium.

This marks the inaugural run of the Chengdu-Antwerp route, expanding Chengdu’s international rail network to 126 overseas cities.

The train operates under the "Europe Express" model, which allows customized routing to multiple European terminals within a single train. Upon reaching a European hub, cargo is distributed to final destinations.

With this new route, the Chengdu-Africa rail-sea transit time is reduced to around 25 days—50% faster than traditional ocean shipping.

A representative from Chengdu International Railway Port Economic Zone stated: "The ‘Europe Express’ model breaks the traditional ‘point-to-point’ limitation of China-Europe trains, meeting diverse logistics needs and expanding service coverage."

After arriving in Antwerp, cargo can be rail-distributed within 2-3 days to Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and the UK, offering clients "one shipment, multi-destination" efficiency.

Additionally, goods can be forwarded via sea routes to North African countries like Morocco and Algeria, forming a closed-loop logistics chain: "Chengdu consolidation → Antwerp distribution → North Africa transshipment."

This train was a customized service for French logistics giant DPD Group—their second dedicated Chengdu route, carrying ¥35 million (≈$4.8M) worth of e-commerce goods and chilled foods.

DPD’s China Strategy Director noted that the group has established a central warehouse in Antwerp, enabling 48-hour delivery across Europe for cross-border e-commerce.