A China-Europe Railway Express freight train named “Tianma” is ready to depart from Wuwei City of northwest China's Gansu Province for Duisburg in Germany on May 17, 2021. (Photo/China News Service)

ECNS) -- A China-Europe Railway Express freight train named “Tianma” departed from Wuwei City of northwest China's Gansu Province for Duisburg in Germany on Monday.

The train was loaded with 50 containers from Tianjin, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Shandong provinces, comprising mainly kitchen appliances and hardware fittings.

The freight train left Wuwei and will pass the Alashankou Port in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Georgian capital Tbilisi before finally arrive in Hamburg within 18 days.

The nearly 9,000- kilometer journey will take 10 days less than the freight route crossing New Eurasian Land Bridge and 30 days less than traditional ocean transportation. 

In April, the local government of Gansu Province and the Georgian state of Shida Kartli signed an agreement on the establishment of friendly and cooperative relations. Wuwei Bonded Logistics Center also signed a cooperation agreement on establishing overseas bonded warehousing with the Partnership Fund of Georgia, thus becoming the first bonded area in China to set up overseas warehouses with foreign free trade zones. 

The "Tianma" freight trains have transported goods from China to Europe, Central Asia and Russia. A total of 127 trains have safely operated on the route since Dec. 12, 2014, according to Fang Hongming, chairman of Gansu China-Europe International Logistics Center.

"The Wuwei International Inland Port is a significant hub along the Silk Road Economic Belt, as well as a crucial node on the new western land-sea passage. There is no doubt that it plays a unique role in serving local economic development and construction of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Ma Cong, deputy director of the Gansu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office