Loaded with over 980 tonnes of goods, a China-Europe freight train departed from Shanghai on Thursday afternoon for Almaty, Kazakhstan, Shanghai Customs said.

The departure marked the launch of the first China-Europe freight train from Shanghai to Central Asia.

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic this year, Shanghai temporarily suspended its China-Europe freight train service, which resumed in May in the face of strong demand from foreign trade enterprises.

In the first half of this year, Shanghai handled 12 China-Europe freight trains, carrying 1,166 TEUs with a cargo weight of over 7,234 tonnes, worth 293 million yuan (around 43.5 million U.S. dollars).

Shanghai launched its first China-Europe freight train in September 2021. Currently, the city has nine freight cargo routes, reaching 13 cities in five countries along the Belt and Road.

So far, Shanghai has handled 35 China-Europe cargo trains, loaded with 3,438 TEUs of goods with a total weight of 23,600 tonnes, worth 1.024 billion yuan.