In terms of major indicators such as overall shipment size and total cargo value, China-Europe freight trains departing from Guangzhou in the first two months of 2021 have surpassed those departing in the first quarter of 2020 by more than 20 percent.

Guangzhou had dispatched 16 China-Europe freight trains for export by the end of February, transporting 1,598 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a respective increase of three times and 3.7 times year-on-year.

These trains have transported a total of 8,244.52 metric tons of cargo with an overall value of 543 million yuan ($83.53 million), a respective increase of 4.2 times and 2.4 times year-on-year. 

China-Europe freight trains have functioned as the major channel for land transportation from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control effort.

Nearly 90 percent of the cargo exported via China-Europe freight trains from Guangzhou - including printers, clothing, shoes, hats and LED lights - was produced by companies in the Greater Bay Area.

"It is not only cheap but also stable to choose China-Europe freight trains for export transportation," said a person in charge of an export company.

At present, China-Europe freight trains are popular on the market and most of the trains can be loaded with 100 TEUs, which is the maximum transportation capacity. Six international railway routes are now available, covering destinations in dozens of countries such as Uzbekistan, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Germany and France.