A freight train loaded with smart home appliances departed from the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao in Shandong province on June 10, marking the 110,000th trip of the China-Europe freight train service — a milestone for a logistics network that has become a vital artery in global trade.

The train, carrying 55 containers filled with goods including LCD displays and refrigerators worth nearly 20 million yuan ($2.75 million), is bound for Moscow, Russia, and is expected to reach its destination in 17 days. It will pass through key Chinese cities such as Jinan in Shandong province, Shijiazhuang in Hebei province, and Taiyuan of Shanxi province before exiting the country at Ereenhot in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Launched in 2011, the China-Europe freight train network has moved goods valued at more than $450 billion, according to China State Railway Group. Once a modest logistical experiment, the network has evolved into a cornerstone of the Belt and Road Initiative, offering a faster and increasingly cost-effective alternative to sea shipping.

So far, 128 Chinese cities have launched outbound rail services, connecting with 229 cities across 26 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian nations. The rapidly growing network has emerged as a stabilizing force in global supply chains, especially during times of crisis.

On the morning of June 10, the 110,000th China-Europe freight train departed from the Multimodal Transport Center in the SCODA.