The first "New Silk Road" Yuxinou railway return train from Poland to China kicked off on Thursday, the Chongqing government said.

Starting in Chongqing, the 11,178 km Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe International Railway passes through Xi'an, Lanzhou, Urumqi , Russia, Belarus and Poland, finally ending in Duisburg, Germany.

According to the government, it takes just 16 days on average to transport goods from China to Europe by rail, much less than via the sea.

Xu Qiang, director of the Development and Reform Commission of Chongqing Municipality, said China launched the first train from Poland to Chongqing to enhance cooperation between China and Europe.

"It is an important landmark for our New Silk Road, which will strengthen China's bilateral economic ties with the regions along the railway," Xu said.

In recent years, Poland and China have formed closer ties in political and economic perspectives, said Jacek Zuber, chief of the Department of International Cooperation Ministry of Infrastructure and Development of Poland.

"Yuxinou railway is one of the most important cooperation projects to us, especially as the railway will bring great opportunities to our trade with China," he said.

The first train will bring electronic products, auto parts and steel products to Chongqing.