URUMQI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Alataw Pass, a major rail port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, handled 1,588 China-Europe freight train trips in the first quarter this year, marking a 10.35 percent year-on-year jump, local railway authorities said.

About 3.33 million tonnes of cargo were transported during these trips, up 23.8 percent year on year, according to the China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd.

The surge in China-Europe freight train trips is partly driven by greater efficiency in customs clearance, the company said.

"The average daily number of China-Europe freight trains handled by the port remains 17 today, compared to a monthly average of 3.5 trains in 2012," said Yan Huapeng, who works with the Alataw railway station.

The Alataw Pass witnessed more than 30,000 China-Europe freight train trips from 2011 until late March this year. It is handling an increased amount of imported supplies, such as wine, chocolates and chemical fertilizers.

So far, China-Europe freight trains passing through the Alataw Pass have accounted for over 30 percent of such trains in China, reaching 19 countries, including Germany, Poland and Russia.