A new international freight train from the China Railway Qinghai-Tibet Group Co., Ltd. (Qinghai-Tibet Group) departed for Vietnam on May 27, marking the first direct rail link for goods produced on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the ASEAN market. Simultaneously, the Horgos Railway Port has handled over 4,000 China-Europe and Central Asia freight trains this year, indicating a rapid development of an international logistics network that connects land and sea and facilitates two-way traffic between east and west.
The train loaded with 35 containers carrying nearly 1,000 tons of polyvinyl chloride left Shuangzhai Station operated by the Qinghai-Tibet Group at 10:30 a.m. on May 27. Organized jointly by the group, the Qinghai Provincial Department of Commerce, and China Railway Multimodal Transport Qinghai-Tibet Branch, the train will travel via stations including Haishiwan, Yangmu, Xiushan, and Yatunbao before exiting China through the Pingxiang Port and arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The all-rail transport model significantly reduces logistics time and effectively lowers overall logistics costs for businesses. It establishes a stable and efficient cross-border logistics channel for Qinghai's advantageous products, such as salt lake chemical products and new materials, to access the Southeast Asian market.
Qinghai is a crucial link in the Eurasian Land Bridge and a transportation hub for northwestern and southwestern China. In recent years, the Qinghai-Tibet Group has collaborated with the Qinghai Provincial Department of Commerce to promote the regular operation of international freight trains, with routes reaching Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia.
Previously, exporting products like polyvinyl chloride and soda ash from Qinghai to Vietnam often involved segmented transport and multiple loadings/unloadings, leading to more links, greater loss, and higher costs. The new direct train service from Shuangzhai to Ho Chi Minh City covers 3,200 kilometers via rail, enabling door-to-door delivery without the need for secondary handling at the Vietnamese port, directly delivering goods to customers. This significantly enhances the efficiency of Qinghai's product exports, reduces logistics costs, and improves the price competitiveness of salt lake chemical products and new materials in the ASEAN market.
Moving forward, the Qinghai-Tibet Group plans to operate regular international freight train services to Southeast Asia and Central Asia. It will collaborate with professional logistics companies to develop customized transport services, diversify cargo types, and expand train operations. Exports to ASEAN will gradually shift from sporadic less-than-container-load shipments to regular, large-scale, containerized operations, laying the groundwork for fixed monthly schedules and increased cargo volumes. The goal is to develop the Shuangzhai logistics base into a cross-border logistics hub connecting domestic and international markets.
Concurrently, as of May 26, the Horgos Railway Port has handled over 4,000 China-Europe and Central Asia freight trains this year. According to statistics from Urumqi Customs, Xinjiang's total import and export value in the first four months of this year reached 172.71 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.2%, indicating strong demand for foreign trade.
This year, the China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd. (CR Urumqi) has increased the maximum number of cars per China-Europe train formation to 55 and the traction mass to 3,000 tons, implementing consolidated transport operations at the Horgos Railway Port. By utilizing operational gaps to pre-position containers for inspection and optimizing cargo space layout, and by closely coordinating with customs to reduce processing time, the port ensures efficient clearance. Furthermore, refined scheduling and facilitation measures like "Railway Express Clearance" have simplified procedures and minimized waiting times.
To date, the Horgos Railway Port has served 91 freight train routes, connecting to 46 cities and regions in 18 countries. The types of goods transported have expanded to over 200 categories, establishing a comprehensive, wide-ranging, and regular cross-border transport system.
From a channel perspective, Horgos, as a key hub for westbound China-Europe and Central Asia trains, handling over 4,000 trains signifies a new level of capacity, operational maturity, and customs coordination for China's western international railway corridor. The westbound land logistics main channel is operating more efficiently. The launch of the direct international train service to Vietnam by the Qinghai-Tibet Group formally integrates the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau deeply into the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, addressing the previous lack of direct southbound rail services from northwest China to ASEAN.
Connecting Asia and Europe to the west and linking with ASEAN to the south, these two railway channels interconnect and complement each other, promoting a shift in international railway logistics from single-line operations to a networked and diversified pattern. This strengthens the framework of domestic and international land logistics corridors.
From a regional openness perspective, the dual-channel structure (westbound and southbound) enables different regions in northwest China to overcome geographical limitations and accelerate their transformation from inland hinterlands to frontiers of opening-up. The launch of the southbound international train service opens a new export route for Qinghai, which is landlocked and not bordering any sea, helping the province deeply connect with the ASEAN market and invigorate its export-oriented economic development. Meanwhile, the increasing volume of trains through Horgos Port amplifies Xinjiang's advantage as the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt, further consolidating its role as a gateway connecting Asia and Europe.
The simultaneous acceleration of these westward and southward channels helps northwestern provinces break down barriers to openness, share logistics benefits, and promote coordinated development in logistics, commerce, and industry among regions. This comprehensively enhances the openness and connectivity of China's inland areas.
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