The first intermodal train of 2024 sets off. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_df8bc987e060]

On Jan 1, the X9574, a freight train departing from Qinzhou Port East Station in Guangxi, carried 2,611 metric tons of goods, including Singaporean egg amino acid and Thai coconut jelly, heading to Chengxiang Station in Sichuan province.

This marks the first intermodal train of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor starting from the Qinzhou Port area in China's Guangxi Pilot Free Trade Zone this year.

At the beginning of the new year, the Qinzhou Port area was bustling with activity as cranes swiftly operated and containers were loaded onto the intermodal train for transportation to domestic and international destinations.

In 2023, the train transported 861,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods, a year-on-year increase of 13.8 percent.

Currently, the train coverage has expanded to 18 provinces, 70 cities, and 144 railway stations in China, with goods reaching 473 ports in 120 countries and regions.

The range of transported goods has also increased from the initial 50-plus categories, such as ceramics and sheet materials, to over 980 categories, including grain, automotive parts, computer accessories, and decorative materials.

Qinzhou Port area. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_df8bc987e060]