China has turned the train into its silent road to Europe. The last shipment marks a new milestone in its commercial strategy

For years, a constant flow of trains starts from the same Chinese city, Xi’an, in the direction of Europe. The last one did it on Wednesday with 55 containers loaded with solar panels, destined for Baku. With him, the city has overcome the 30,000 trains outputs with European destination since 2013, According to Xinhua. The figure refers only to items from Xi’an, not counting the laps. The data impresses, but says even more if observed in context: China has been using the railroad as a strategic tool to approach the logistics heart of Europe.

The image of a train loaded with merchandise based on northwestern China has been repeated thousands of times in just over a decade. This constant flow has made the aforementioned Asian city one of the great nodes of the China-Europe Railway Express. This logistics network exceeded in June the 110,000 accumulated services (round trip) as a whole, According to the Official Portal of the Chinese Government on June 10, 2025date on which the symbolic exit was held from Qingdao. Although it is not the only point of origin, it stands out for its regularity, the variety of routes that operates and the prominence it has won in the land transport strategy to Europe.

An essential route. The train to Baku is part of the call Medium Corridor or Middle Corridora route that crosses Kazakhstan, borders the Caspian Sea and continues through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye before connecting with Europe. This alternative to the traditional railway axis via Russia He has won prominence in recent yearsespecially after geopolitical tensions in the region. Baku is not a final destination, but a strategic point of passage within this network: from there, many shipments continue by sea or rail to countries of the European Union.

What moves with this transport. The train that departed this week from Xi’an transports 55 containers loaded with photovoltaic modules. It is not a rarity. In fact, products linked to solar energy are a usual part of the rail services that cross Eurasia by this route. China dominates the global market of solar panels, according to the International Energy Agency, with more than 80% of the manufacturing capacity at all stages.

Although photovoltaic modules have become frequent, they are not the only thing that comes out of this Asian city. The rail services that start from Xi’an also transport electronic products, appliances, automotive parts, machinery, textiles, medical supplies and consumer goods. According to official data, China-Europe Railway Express moves more than 50,000 types of different products, organized in 53 categories. In March, for example, a convoy with European destination left from Xi’an loaded with cosmetics, automotive components and household needs.

The advantages of the railroad. In front of maritime transport, the railroad offers clear advantages in certain sections. According to the EIASoffers less transit time, less port congestion and less exposure to geopolitical bottlenecks. The routes that cross Central Asia and the Caspian Sea allow to reduce in several days the journey between western China and Eastern Europe. In addition, this corridor has gained strategic weight since many companies are looking for alternatives to shipments via Russia. For Beijing, having a more flexible rail network is a way to shield its export capacity against changing scenarios.

Images | Xinhua

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