Freight Trains Between Henan and Europe Run Fast Over Past 9 Years

Freight Trains Between Henan and Europe Run Fast Over Past 9 Years

从0到6000多，从1到16 河南“钢铁驼队”的九年“长跑”

 

At around 3 am on July 18, Dong Chao was still on duty at the Putian Station in Zhengzhou city, Henan province. Staring at a big screen connected to the real-time monitoring system, he was directing the operation of a train.

7月18日，凌晨3点多，郑州铁路口岸圃田站值班员董超依旧端坐在调度室，目不转睛盯着大屏幕上的实时监控画面，发出“调车、试风、发车”等一道道口令。

 

Sounding a long whistle, a China-Europe freight train carrying 50 TEUs of made-in-China products left the station for Hamburg, Germany. "From July 18, 2013 to July 18, 2022, China-Europe freight train has been operating for 9 years in Henan," said Dong Chao.

一声汽笛长鸣，一列满载50车“中国制造”的中欧班列在夜色中隆隆开动，踏上开往德国汉堡的征程。“从2013年7月18日到2022年7月18日，一晃，班列跑了九年。”董超很清楚这一天是河南“钢铁驼队”开行九周年的日子。

 

"It is a peak season." According to Dong Chao, "There was only one trip every month in the beginning, while there are even seven or eight trips (including goes and returns) per day now."

“现在忙是常态。”董超深有体会地说，“刚开行时是一月一班，现在高峰期每天去程、回程加一块儿有七八列。”

A China Railway Express in Zhengzhou. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

Linking domestic and overseas markets, China-Europe freight trains in Henan have become a pillar in stabilizing foreign trade and ensuring the stability and smooth operation of international supply and industrial chains on the Silk Road Economic Belt.

连通境内外、辐射东中西。作为河南高水平开放的重要平台和载体，九年“长跑”，“钢铁驼队”跑出了我省开放发展的“加速度”，成为丝绸之路经济带上稳外贸、保国际供应链、产业链稳定畅通的重要支撑。

 

China-Europe freight trains in Henan, also known as the "Land Silk Road", ran faster and faster over the past 9 years. Since 2013, freight trains between Henan and Europe have made more than 6,000 trips transporting almost 4,000,000 tons of cargo, with 6 indicators standing at the forefront of China. Besides, Zhengzhou has become the only CR Express assembly center in Central and East China.

九年“奋斗路”，“陆上丝绸之路”越跑越快。从0到6000多，九年来，班列开行突破6000列、货重近400万吨，班列重箱率、回程比例、综合运营能力等6项指标均保持全国前列，郑州成为中东部地区唯一的中欧班列集结中心。

 

China-Europe freight trains in Henan have gradually expanded its travel over the past 9 years. They have formed a global multimodal transport logistics network featuring 7 exit/entry ports and 16 direct routes with its services covering more than 130 cities of over 30 countries in the EU, Central Asia, Russia and the Asia-Pacific region.

九年“探索路”，合作共赢“朋友圈”越来越大。从1到16，在连点成线、织线成网中构建起“7个口岸出入境、16条直达线路”的国际多式联运集疏运网络，业务网络遍布欧盟、中亚、俄罗斯及亚太地区30多个国家130多个城市。

A China Railway Express in Zhengzhou. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

"Our services are operated digitally, such as freight booking, door-to-door pickup, container management and parcel query." According to Kang Yan, deputy general manager of Zhengzhou International Hub Development and Construction Co., Ltd.,  "Featured by the integration of freight and trade, digital trains as well as constant temperature trains, Henan has stood at the forefront of China-Europe freight train services across China."

“从网上订舱到‘门到门’提货，从管理一个集装箱到查询每一个包裹，一切都是数字化。”在郑州国际陆港班列综合服务中心大厅，郑州国际陆港开发建设有限公司副总经理康岩指着班列运行监控图上一个个跳动的“小火车”和一辆辆流动的集装箱卡车，脸上露出笑容，“咱河南在全国已打造出数字班列、恒温班列和运贸一体化等优势特色名片。”

 

Zhongyu is a new name for all China-Europe freight trains in Henan. Henan has embarked on a new journey to develop its "Land Silk Road" since January. To promote the coordination of China-Europe freight trains across the province and improve their quality and quantity, Henan named all its China-Europe freight trains Zhongyu, an important step for Henan's development of hub economy and pursuit of higher-level opening-up. Henan Zhongyu International Port Group is responsible for their operations.

从中欧班列（郑州）到中欧班列（中豫号），改变的是名字，不变的是奔跑。今年以来，河南“陆上丝绸之路”建设再启新征程。为推动全省国际陆港集成联动和中欧班列扩量提质发展，河南省中欧班列统一命名“中欧班列（中豫号）”，由河南中豫国际港务集团整合陆港资源、统筹班列开行、发展枢纽经济和推进高水平开放向着更高层次全面展开。

 

"Opening-up determines development." According to Henan Zhongyu International Port Group, with the strategies of reshaping competitiveness and opening-up based on rules and institutions, they will integrate resources to bring the strengths of China-Europe freight trains in Henan together, thus further consolidating the role of Henan as a freight hub and expanding service coverage. Besides, they will develop Henan's advantages in location and transport into strengths in hub economy, by which Henan as an inland opening-up highland can provide high-quality service to the Belt and Road Initiative.

“开放的层次和高度决定发展的质量和水平。”河南中豫国际港务集团相关负责人表示，作为全省对外开放战略平台，企业将聚焦服务优势再造、制度型开放战略，整合全省资源资产，促进班列开行布网连链、攥指成拳，进一步巩固枢纽、拓展网络，做强和拓展“四路协同”产业链、供应链经济，积极推动交通区位优势向枢纽经济优势转变，在打造内陆开放高地和参与服务“一带一路”建设中发挥更大作用。（中文来源/河南日报 记者/王延辉 编译/杨佳欣 何蒙贺 海报/王君艺 审校/李文竞 赵汉青）