Int'l bus-rail-sea freight route begins operation in Xinjiang

An freight train with cargo bound for India departed from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Friday afternoon.

The train, carrying 40 containers loaded with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, set off at 4:30 p.m. from the regional capital Urumqi. The products were transported to Urumqi by bus from locations across region. The freight train will deliver them to Lianyungang in east China's Jiangsu Province, where they will be shipped to India.

This is Xinjiang's first bus-rail-sea freight route, according to Urumqi rail authority. The route will slash logistic costs and deliver Xinjiang's specialty products to the world, said Xing Tieying from the Urumqi International Land Port.

"Urumqi is regarded as the world's furthest inland city, but now it has another connection to the rest of the world via the bus-rail-sea freight route," Xing said. "It will not only decrease costs, but also boost the local economy."