Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region handles more China-Europe freight trains

This aerial photo shows a freight train bound for Ulan Bator, Mongolia, pulling out of a station in Tianjin Port in north China's Tianjin, Sept. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region handled 1,059 China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight trains last year, expanding the freight services to countries and regions including Russia, Mongolia, and Germany.

In 2023, the region handled 335 trains serving the China-Europe route and 724 trains serving the China-Central Asia route, according to the China Railway Beijing Group Co., Ltd.

The freight trains departed from cities including Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, extending their reach to Central Asia and European countries through ports such as Erenhot, Manzhouli, and Horgos, said Zhang Jinchao with the company.

China rolled out a plan for the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei in 2015, and the region's combined economic output has surpassed 10 trillion yuan (about 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars).