A China-Europe freight train with 45 compartments of anti-epidemic supplies leaves the Xinzhu Railway Station in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Aug. 12, 2020, to head for Italy's Milan. The shipment includes 368,300 masks and 94.9 tonnes of melt-blown non-woven fabric, an essential material for manufacturing medical masks. (Photo by Yuan Jingzhi/Xinhua)

XI'AN, Aug. 12  -- A cargo train with 45 compartments of anti-epidemic supplies left Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, and headed for Italy's Milan Wednesday.

The shipment includes 368,300 masks and 94.9 tonnes of melt-blown non-woven fabric, an essential material for manufacturing medical masks.

The China-Europe freight train service has played a crucial role in helping stabilize the international logistics supply chain, especially in transporting epidemic prevention supplies since the outbreak of COVID-19.

By the end of July, anti-epidemic supplies amounting to 4.97 million items and weighing 39,000 tonnes were transported through the freight trains.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, over 12,719 tonnes of supplies have been shipped from Xi'an via the train service, thus bolstering international cooperation on epidemic prevention.

In the next two months, more medical and epidemic prevention supplies are scheduled to be dispatched from Xi'an to Italy via the China-Europe train routes to help with the anti-epidemic fight.