A China-Europe freight train passes through the port of Erenhot. (Photo: Chinanews.com)

The port of Erenhot in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has seen 1,500 China-Europe freight trains as of Friday, according to local customs.

The 1,500th freight train this year, leaving for Vorotynsk in Russia from Hefei, the capital of east China’s Anhui Province passed through the port at 9:45 am.

As the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs in China, the production of domestic industries have gradually returned to normal, and the number of China-Europe freight trains has also experienced a substantial rise. The amount of China-Europe freight trains through the port of Erenhot has increased from two trains per day in March to seven to eight per day at present, according to the local authorities.

Guo Zhenmin, a local timber trader, said, “When the epidemic was at its peak in February and March, due to the shutdown of domestic production, we couldn’t even get one train a week for wood imports. Now we have at least three or four trains a week.”

“In the past, the trains had to stay for at least one day to go through customs clearance procedures and transshipment operations at the port. Now, in general, it only takes about half a day. The improvement of efficiency is very important for shipping enterprises,” Guo added.

Erenhot Port is the largest land port on the border between China and Mongolia. It is also the shortest straight-line exit channel between north China, east China and Europe.

(Compiled by Huang Yuzhang)