Hold onto your cargo hats! China-Europe freight trains just hit 19,000 trips in 2024 – a 10% jump from last year. These iron horses of global trade hauled over 2 million TEUs (think: enough containers to wrap around the Earth twice!
) – a 9% boost that’s got economists doing victory dances.
Launched in 2011 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, this rail network’s now the ultimate cross-continental squad. It links 227 European cities across 25 countries with over 100 Asian hubs – basically turning the ancient Silk Road into a high-speed, emoji-worthy trade highway.
Why care? For young professionals eyeing global markets, this is your supply chain’s superhero. Students tracking geopolitics? Textbook example of infrastructure diplomacy. And culture buffs? Those trains aren’t just moving gadgets – they’re hauling cross-border collabs in every container!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com