The Chengdu-Europe express rail runs through Chengdu, Baoji, Lanzhou, Alataw Pass, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, and Lodz in Poland

The Chengdu-Europe express rail freight service was put into operation in April, 2013. This 9,826km railway is the fastest cargo passage from western China, and even the whole of China, to Europe. It runs through Chengdu, Baoji, Lanzhou, Alataw Pass, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, and Lodz in Poland.

And now it is expected to be extended to Xiamen’s Haicang District. With which, cargo departing from Xiamen’s Haicang District is expected to take about 12 days to arrive in Europe, and another 1 to 3 days to the whole of Europe.

It’s a big plan revealed by the Haicang government, which hopes to fan out its influence to the European area through this railway artery from China’s western regions.

The route of the Chengdu-Europe express rail basically coincides with route of the Silk Road, which was a vital trade artery in ancient China.

As a core area of Xiamen’s free trade zone and a container distribution center, Haicang District is favored as the destination of the extended part of the Chengdu-Europe express rail.

With planned investment of 1 billion yuan, the construction of the planned Xiamen-Chengdu-Europe express rail is expected to be divided into two phases. The phase one will be built near the supervised warehouse for customs and CIQ of Xiamen Haitou Logistics Co., Ltd, and the second phase, which will be adjacent to the free trade zone, will have supporting faculties of a frozen food processing and distribution center and a transfer center for European goods.

The project will create job opportunities for at least 1,000 persons, according to a person close to the matter, and will generate annual turnover of about 10 billion yuan and annual taxation of about 300 million yuan.

The cargo passage is expected to save 30 to 45 days compared with maritime transportation and the cost will be only one fifth of the air freight.

The Haicang government is still in talks with their Chengdu counterparts for the project.