Shanxi Province has opened its first rail-road freight route to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The train departs from the Zhongding Logistics Park and travels to Kashgar North Station in Xinjiang, from where containers are transported by road through the Irkeshtam border crossing to Andijan. The first train carried solar panels.
The route takes nine days—six days faster than the traditional route through the Khorgos border crossing and Kazakhstan. According to Gao Jianwen, Director of Operations at Shanxi Zhongding Logistics, the new service will reduce costs by approximately 1,000 yuan (approximately $140) per container.
The project aims to develop Shanxi’s connections with Central Asia and enhance the competitiveness of Chinese shippers through accelerated delivery and reduced logistics costs.