(CFP Photo)

A China-Europe freight train chartered for sending 100 TEUs of washing machines and dryers produced by Jiangsu Little Swan Group departed from Wuxi on June 7, the first-of-its-kind train in the city.

The consumer electronics company exports about 10 million units per year, with 80% shipped through the sea. The cargo train service now is expected to help cut the company’s transportation cost and improve delivery efficiency to better meet the market demand.

Since the establishment of Wuxi International Freight Co Ltd on January 10 this year, there are more freight train trade routes opening, such as the first trip to Hamburg via Xuzhou on March 30, the test trip to St Petersburg via Suzhou on April 28 and to Moscow via Xuzhou on May 7.

Wuxi International Freight has received orders for more than 260 train services and entered into cooperation with key enterprises including Little Swan, SAIC Maxus Automotive, and Rigid Machinery. The plan is to have two outbound freight train trips to Russia and Germany and one inbound train trip each month in the second half of the year.

Efforts will also be made to operate cargo train services in the direction of Tashkent and Almaty, connect with more destinations across Europe, and explore trade routes to Vietnam and Laos.