On August 26, the nation’s first China–Europe freight train on the Southern Corridor operating under a bill of lading, running from Zhengzhou to Baku, and the nation’s first scheduled fast freight train on the China–Laos–Thailand route departed from Zhengzhou International Inland Port in Henan Province.

The Southern Corridor China–Europe freight train (Zhengzhou–Baku) bill of lading service consists of 55 containers loaded with foreign trade goods including auto parts and household appliances, with Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, as its destination. For years, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which involves rail-sea-rail multimodal transport across multiple segments, relied on traditional railway waybills. Due to differing document formats among countries along the route, repeated document preparation was required, resulting in low transport efficiency and a complicated process for determining cargo ownership under the waybill. The launch of the bill of lading service enables a single document to cover the entire cross-Caspian rail-sea multimodal journey with full traceability, effectively improving transport efficiency.

The scheduled fast freight train on the China–Laos–Thailand route, which also made its maiden departure the same day, will exit China via the Mohan Port in Yunnan Province, traverse the entire length of Laos, and arrive at the Laem Chabang Port in Thailand. The entire journey takes only five to six days, significantly reducing transit time.

The launch of the two freight train services further strengthens Henan’s multidimensional international logistics corridor system linking Asia and Europe, continues to enhance the distribution and consolidation capacity of the Zhengzhou China–Europe Freight Train Assembly Center, and contributes to building an inland hub for opening-up.