About 3.33 million tonnes of cargo were transported during these trips, up 23.8 percent year on year, according to the China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd.
The surge in China-Europe freight train trips is partly driven by greater efficiency in customs clearance, the company said.
“The average daily number of China-Europe freight trains handled by the port remains 17 today, compared to a monthly average of 3.5 trains in 2012,” said Yan Huapeng, who works with the Alataw railway station.
The Alataw Pass witnessed more than 30,000 China-Europe freight train trips from 2011 until late March this year. It is handling an increased amount of imported supplies, such as wine, chocolates and chemical fertilizers.
So far, China-Europe freight trains passing through the Alataw Pass have accounted for over 30 percent of such trains in China, reaching 19 countries, including Germany, Poland and Russia.