Hefei International Land Port launches freight train to Germany's Dusseldorf

--A new freight train route started service Thursday linking Hefei, capital of eastern China's Anhui Province and Germany's Dusseldorf, local authorities said Friday.

The first freight train on this route, carrying inverters, dehumidifiers and mechanical equipment, left Hefei at 11 p.m. Thursday and will arrive in Dusseldorf in 16 days. Two-way freight trains are scheduled to be launched along the route once every week, according to the Hefei International Land Port Development Co. Ltd., which is in charge of the freight operation.

This block train is operated by Hefei International Land Port Development Co., Ltd , it is a state-owned port operation company approved by the CPC Hefei Municipal Committee and Hefei Municipal People’s Government.

Düsseldorf, city, capital of North Rhine–Westphalia Land (state), western Germany. It lies mainly on the right bank of the Rhine River, 21 miles (34 km) northwest of Cologne. It is the administrative and cultural centre of the industrial Rhine-Ruhr area.

In accordance with the decision and the guiding principle of the Party committee and government of the city, Hefei International Land Port Development Co., Ltd is a reorganized company on the basis of the original China-Europe block train operation platform in Hefei, and should be operated in an integrated model featuring sea, land and air transportation at a higher starting point with a higher standard of management.

In recent years, Hefei has opened 15 freight train services linking the city with Central Asian and European cities including Hamburg, Duisburg, Almaty and Helsinki.

The China-Europe freight train service is considered a new channel for Hefei's export, and it is expected to help the city and Anhui Province better integrate with the country's Belt and Road Initiative.