Shandong China-Europe freight train makes first direct run to Afghanistan

A freight train carrying textiles, chemical materials, hardware tools and engineering machinery departed Linyi, East China's Shandong province, on Oct 21 for Hairatan in Afghanistan, marking the first direct rail service from Shandong to the country.

The train, operated by Shandong Hi-Speed Group under the Shandong China-Europe freight train program, crossed into Central Asia through the Khorgos port and arrived in Afghanistan without transloading.

Shandong's exports to Afghanistan previously relied on cross-border road transport or combined rail-road services, which carried high damage risks, uncertain delivery times and elevated costs. The rail operator coordinated overseas capacity through its Almaty consolidation center, pre-screened cargo security and arranged booking, customs clearance, transport and delivery as one closed-loop process.

The direct service offers exporters a stable, schedule-controlled land route to markets in western and central Asia. The Shandong China-Europe network now runs 58 international routes reaching 61 cities in 29 countries along the Belt and Road, supported by two domestic and four overseas consolidation centers.

Editor：韩蒙蒙