Keeping in lieu with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s multi-billion dollar ‘One Belt, One Road’ strategy, China has started train services from across the borders of China and other Asian, African and European countries to deliver commodities in London in Western Europe. This train route is promoting the effort to boost trade and economic growth across the continents.
The train covers 7,500 miles (12,000km) from Yiwu West Railway station in Zhenjiang Province, Eastern China to Barking, London, taking 18 days to complete the journey. During the journey, the train runs through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France before arriving in London. As a matter of fact, UK is the eighth country to be added to the China-Europe service, with London being the 15th city. There are services that are already running between China, Spain and Germany.
Launched in 2013 as an infrastructure and trade network connecting Asia with Africa and Europe through the old Silk Road trading routes, it is one of the current 39 routes linking 16 Chinese cities to 12 European cities. The Chinese administration are focused at improving the connectivity of their infrastructure construction plans and technical standard systems, while improving construction of international trunk passageways to form an infrastructure network connecting all sub regions in Asia, and between Asia, Europe and Africa.
China stands to benefit the highest with the opening of this ancient trade route that aims to boost regional cooperation and better relations between countries that lie along the Silk Road. Along with western Xinjiang province that has gained the most, the railway infrastructure through much of mainland China and outwards into Russia has been strengthened.
The train carries clothing, bags and household items to Europe. On its return journey it transports back German meat products, Russian wood, French wines and many more.
Approved in David Cameron’s period, the China Railway Corporation looks forward to further strengthen the China-Britain trade ties with exports standing at $2.27 trillion in 2015.Britain seeks to bring in billions of dollars in Chinese investment with the imminent departure from European Union.
China- London Rail corridor is The Silk Route of the modern world
