First freight train on Shijiazhuang – Yen Vien railway route welcomed
A ceremony was held in Hanoi’s Yen Vien station on August 2 to welcome the first freight train on Shijiazhuang (China) – Yen Vien (Vietnam) railway route.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Members' Council of the Vietnam Railway Corporation (VRC) Dang Sy Manh said the first international multimodal freight train from Shijiazhuang to Yen Vien ran on a distance of about 2,700 km with a time of 4-5 days. It consists of 23 carriages and carries nearly 800 tonnes of goods, including metal equipment, chemicals, and fertilisers.
Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo said the official launching of the route is an important step in the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Vietnam, thus helping their quality products penetrate each other’s market more conveniently.
At the event, the Railway Transport and Trade JSC (Ratraco) and the Shijiazhuang Inland Port Co. Ltd. signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement.
According to experts, this route will promote two-way trade between China’s Hebei province and ASEAN countries. It will contribute to establishing a supplementary mechanism for mutual raw material sourcing between ASEAN and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei triangle area in China.