The freight train service between China and Europe has kept around a double digit year-on-year growth in the first quarter of this year, facilitating the stable and smooth operation of the international supply chain and promoting connectivity between China and Europe.

From January to March, a total of 4,541 China-Europe freight trains were operated, carrying 493,000 containers, a year-on-year increase of 9 and 10 percent, respectively, according to China State Railway Group on Sunday.

To boost the service's high-quality development, more new routes have been planned to expand the reach of the China-Europe freight train network.

This year, transport testing has been initiated for the China-Europe freight trains from Xi'an of Shaanxi province, Chongqing and Yiwu of Zhejiang province to Poti, Georgia and Istanbul, Turkiye.

Other new routes have also been opened, including the Harbin of Heilongjiang province to Tilburg in the Netherlands, Shijiazhuang in Hebei province to Belgrade, Serbia, and Qingdao of Shandong province to Moscow, Russia. These new routes are set to facilitate economic and trade exchanges between various regions in China and European countries.

As of the end of last month, the China-Europe freight trains have operated over 87,000 trips, reaching 222 cities in 25 countries across Europe.