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China-Europe freight train service continues making new progress

Published

3 years ago

April 15, 2023

By Li Xinping, People’s Daily
China-Europe freight trains made 4,186 trips and transported 449,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods in the first quarter this year, up 15 percent and 28 percent year on year, respectively, according to statistics released by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., or China Railway, on April 10.
In particular, 1,488 trips were made and 162,000 TEUs were transported in March alone, growing 31 percent and 52 percent respectively from a year ago. It marked the 35th straight month since May 2020 that China-Europe freight train trips exceeded 1,000.
On the morning of March 24, a freight train loaded with automobile parts and other cargo departed from Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province. It was the first China-Europe freight train heading for Zhodzina, Belarus from the Chinese city, and the third new route for the cargo service opened in Wuhan this year.
So far, the transportation channel in the central Chinese city has 44 stable cross-border routes involving 109 cities in 40 countries on the Eurasian continent.
Since this year, a number of Chinese cities have launched new routes or stations for the China-Europe freight train service, including Beijing, north China’s Tianjin municipality, Anyang of central China’s Henan province and Zhongshan of south China’s Guangdong province. The cargo service has constantly expanded its transportation network with increasing channels.
Besides, upgraded services also enriched the sources of cargo and clients for China-Europe freight trains. In particular, the seamless connection between the land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the oceangoing “21st-century Maritime Silk Road” has opened up new prospects for rail-sea intermodal train services.
Recently, a cargo vessel from the Port of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam arrived at the Haitian Container Terminal at Xiamen Port, southeast China’s Fujian province. After fast transit formalities, cargo on the vessel was soon transferred to a China-Europe freight train bound for Almaty, Kazakhstan.
According to an employee of the China Railway Nanchang Group in east China’s Jiangxi province, the rail-sea intermodal train services could shorten the cargo transportation to only 20 days, which is 45 days less time than whole sea transportation. It has become the best logistics route between Southeast Asia and Central Asia, the employee added.
In the future, Xiamen’s China-Europe freight train service will promote cross-border LCL (Less than Container Load) business, selecting the fastest shipping schedule to gather bulk cargo from South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian countries to Xiamen, and then transfer them to Europe through railway, the employee said.
The constant upgrading of infrastructure and relevant services has significantly improved the efficiency of China-Europe freight trains.
Xi’an International Port in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, a departure station and return destination of China-Europe freight trains in Xi’an, has expanded its handling capacity by 30 percent after three rounds of upgrading.
The China Railway Beijing Group has opened two cargo routes in a China-Europe freight train base in Shijiazhuang, north China’s Hebei province, which improves loading capacity by 50 percent.
In Wuhan, the customs department and the railway department are sharing logistics data of the China-Europe freight train service, which reduces the time for customs clearance by one to two days.
Today, the types of cargo transported by China-Europe freight trains have been significantly expanded, including automobiles, wood, furniture, chemical products, machinery, fertilizers and others.
On the morning of April, 8, a China-Europe freight train carrying new energy vehicles (NEVs) departed from southwest China’s Chongqing municipality. These vehicles were expected to head for Duisburg, Germany via Alashankou Port in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Thanks to the prospering development of the NEV sector in China, the type of vehicles are driving the cargo volume of China-Europe freight trains. “China-Europe freight trains have become a new choice for Chinese automakers like Geely and BYD to export their products,” said an employee of the Xi’an International Port, which has launched a service for whole-vehicle exports.
According to the China Railway Zhengzhou Group in Henan province, the group has launched customized reinforcement plans for different vehicle models during shipping. Each container is able to carry up to four vehicles at most, which has largely reduced the logistics cost for auto exporters.
The continuous recovery of China’s macro economy has helped many cities set new records in the China-Europe freight train service.
In the first quarter of this year, Xi’an saw over 1,100 China-Europe freight train trips, which carried more than 1 million tons of cargo, up 39.6 percent and 66.1 percent year on year, respectively.
During the same period, 315 trips departed from Wuhan, delivering nearly 26,000 TEUs. The two figures surged 202.88 percent and 202.8 percent respectively from a year ago.
Also in the same quarter, Hefei in east China’s Anhui province set up 21 new stations for the cargo service. A total of 340 China-Europe freight train trips were made by the city, up 49.78 percent year on year.

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Kwara: Ifelodun Travellers Transport System Revived

Published

10 hours ago

August 19, 2026

Our Reporter

As Council Signs MoU With P&A Contract Ltd

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Ifelodun local Government, under the leadership of Hadji Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with P & A Contract Limited for the construction of a modern motor park in Amoyo, as the Council moves to revive the Ifelodun Travellers transport system and improve transportation within the Local Government.

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony at the Council s Contact Office in Amoyo, the Chairman explained that the decision to construct the motor park was driven by the need for Ifelodun Local Government to establish its own transport identity, intended to ease people’s transportation problem.

He recalled that residents travelling to and from Ifelodun had, over the years, relied on transport facilities at Offa Garage and Maraba in Ilorin, stressing the need to create a dedicated transport hub that would serve the people of the Local Government.

“At some point in the history of Ifelodun Local Government, we had Ifelodun Travellers, which does not exist anymore. I don’t think there is anything wrong with bringing that identity back to the limelight. Now, we want to add value to that identity,” the Chairman said.

He added that the Council was also working with relevant stakeholders to bring in 10 units of Korope buses, which would commence operations as soon as possible.

“We are working with the NURTW, Kwara State Chapter, for guidance and to ensure that the operation runs smoothly,” he added.

The Supervisory Councillor for Works and Infrastructure Development, Mrs. Kolo Rebecca, explained that the proposed park would feature several amenities, including a garage, warehouse, 100-unit shopping complex, parking spaces and general toilets.

She said the facilities were designed to boost economic activities, improve the image of the Local Government and provide a more convenient transportation system for residents.

According to her, the initiative is also in line with the efforts of the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to take governance and development directly to the grassroots.

The contractor, Mallam Jimoh Toheeb Abolore, assured the Local Government of the prompt execution of the project, promising that the construction would meet the required standards and contribute positively to the image and development of Ifelodun Local Government.

Those in attendance included the Vice Chairman, Hon. Nike Ajibola; Secretary to the Local Government, Dr. Kamil Akorede; DPM, Mallam Ayinde Salman; LGT, Mallam Usman Waheed; Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Chief Ademola Zubair; Head of Works, Engr. Awodi Muhammad; Land officer, Tola Kadir and other Special Assistants.

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Lawyer Demands Release of Detained Kano Blogger, Maryam Shehu

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Hassan Agboola

A lawyer and human rights activist, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, has called for the immediate release of Kano-based blogger, Maryam Shehu, who he said has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for almost 30 days.

Dantani, in a statement on Monday, said the prolonged detention of Shehu was becoming difficult to reconcile with the rule of law and provisions of the 1999 Constitution, particularly her fundamental right to personal liberty.
He questioned why Shehu should remain in detention for nearly 30 days, particularly over an offence he described as ordinarily bailable.

“How on earth can a person be detained for almost 30 days and counting, particularly in relation to an offence that is ordinarily bailable, without meaningful consideration of her liberty and constitutional rights?” he asked.
Dantani said the EFCC’s powers to investigate did not give the commission the right to detain a suspect indefinitely, punish her before trial or disregard her fundamental rights.

He also criticised the alleged practice of photographing persons in EFCC custody and publishing their images online while they remain presumed innocent.
Citing Section 36(5) of the Constitution, Dantani said the law guarantees the presumption of innocence until a suspect is proven guilty by a competent court.

He warned that publicly portraying suspects as criminals before trial could amount to subjecting them to public punishment and humiliation.
“The EFCC is a law-enforcement institution. It must therefore be the first institution to demonstrate obedience to law. It cannot demand respect for law from citizens while appearing to disregard constitutional safeguards itself,” he said.

Dantani urged the commission to either charge Shehu before a competent court if it has credible evidence against her or release her immediately
.
“We call on EFCC to respect the Constitution, respect presumption of innocence and respect fundamental right to personal liberty. Investigation is not conviction. Detention is not punishment. And an allegation is not guilt,” he said.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Comment on Lionel Messi’s Tribute to His Dad Becomes Most-Liked Instagram Comment

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Fabian Apechihin

Cristiano Ronaldo’s heartfelt message to Lionel Messi following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, has reportedly become the most-liked comment in Instagram history.

Jorge Messi died on August 7 in Rosario, Argentina, aged 68. Five days later, Messi paid tribute to his late father in an emotional Instagram post featuring a photo of the pair.

In the post, Messi wrote, “Te amo, pa” — meaning “I love you, Dad” — alongside a lengthy tribute reflecting on his father’s influence and the pain of losing him.

Among the many reactions from fans, celebrities and fellow footballers was a message from Ronaldo.

“Un abrazo enorme para ti y los tuyos en estos duros momentos, Leo. Mucha fuerza,” Ronaldo wrote, which translates to: “A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength.”

Ronaldo’s comment reportedly attracted more than 6.86 million likes and over 86,000 comments, making it the most-liked comment on Instagram.

The previous record was also held by Ronaldo, whose comment on Kylian Mbappé’s announcement of his move to Real Madrid reportedly received more than five million likes.

Other football stars also expressed their condolences to Messi. Neymar Jr.’s message, translated as “Much strength for you and your family. Big hug,” reportedly received more than 1.6 million likes, while David Beckham’s comment expressing support for Messi and his family attracted more than 300,000 likes.

In his tribute, Messi described his father’s death as difficult to comprehend, saying he struggled to accept that he would no longer see or speak with him.

Messi also recalled how his father had encouraged him to play at the 2026 World Cup despite his deteriorating health. He said his father had hoped to watch him compete and had planned to travel if his condition improved.

According to Messi, he had promised his father that Argentina would reach the final so he could be there. Although Argentina reached the final, his father was unable to attend.

Reflecting on the loss, Messi said he had wanted to win the tournament and bring the trophy to his father but ultimately struggled physically during the competition.

The emotional tribute highlighted the close bond between Messi and his father and the profound impact of his loss on the football superstar.