A MILESTONE was reached last Saturday when a China-Europe freight train departed from Shanghai loaded with 55 containers of cargo - making it the 100th train to depart on the route since the Chinese metropolis launched its China-Europe freight train service in September 2021.

The train, loaded with air conditioners, forklifts and fabrics left China via Erenhot Port in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

As of last Saturday, Shanghai has handled over 9,900 TEU of goods with a total weight of approximately 80,000 tonnes and a total worth of CNY3.12 billion (US$ 453.8 million) by China-Europe freight trains, according to Shanghai Customs.

Currently the city has 10 freight cargo routes, linking it with 24 European countries and five Asian countries.

During the initial stage of Shanghai's China-Europe freight train service, there were over 400 categories of exported goods, including clothing, shoes and hats, glassware and auto parts. The service has expanded to include more than 1,300 categories of products to date, such as photovoltaic cells, automobiles, motorcycles, elevators and LCD panels, reports Xinhua.