• Departure Station: Harbin

• Destination Stations: Hamburg, Malmo, Duisburg

• Frequency: Saturdays (Outbound)

• Transit Time: 15 days

At 10:00 a.m. on October 13th, the first freight train loaded with 49 containers departed from Xiangfang Railway Station in Harbin. This train will traverse the Eurasian landmass and reach Hamburg, Germany, marking the official opening of a new railway corridor connecting the continents of Europe and Asia — the "Harbin-Europe" International Freight Train Service.

First Departure Train

Heilongjiang Province is located in the central zone of Northeast Asia, bordering much of Russia's Far East region. It serves as a vital province for China's trade with Russia and Europe, offering land routes to the west and north through Russia that lead to Europe along the Baltic Sea coast. To the east, it provides access to Japan and South Korea via the Suifenhe Port in Russia's Vladivostok, by both sea and land, with a well-developed transportation infrastructure.

The first "Harbin-Europe" international freight train departed from Harbin today. It will enter Russian territory through the Manzhouli Port, pass through various Russian cities like Zabaikalsk and Chita before transitioning onto the Trans-Siberian Railway through Yekaterinburg and Moscow, ultimately reaching its final destination in Hamburg, Germany, covering a total distance of 9820 kilometers. The inaugural train carries 49 containers filled with goods destined for Russia, Poland, and Germany, with a total value of around $3 million. This train is scheduled to return to Harbin on July 11th.

Presently, the "Harbin-Europe" international freight train has confirmed two months' worth of full container loads for round trips. It is expected to operate regularly with 26 round-trip services by the end of 2015. Fifty percent of the basic cargo volume has been collected. Collection points span the northeastern provinces, Bohai Sea region, North China, East China, major cities, and ports in Japan and South Korea. In Europe, collection points include major cities and ports in countries such as Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, and Spain. The service aims to provide "door-to-door" delivery between China and Europe.

Wang Fukuan, Deputy Director of Harbin Customs, mentioned that the launch of the Harbin-Europe international freight train operation marks a significant breakthrough and focal point for the economic corridors of the "China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor" and the Heilongjiang Land-Sea Silk Road Economic Belt. This initiative opens up a new logistics channel for Chinese enterprises for product exports and imports, connecting China, Russia, and Europe through a key freight route, fostering an essential gateway for international economic and trade cooperation. It promotes the convergence of production factors, resource elements, and capital elements in Heilongjiang, drives trade and industrial development along the route, and establishes a new pattern of openness for Heilongjiang to the outside world.