China Railway reportedly recorded positive growth across the board in the first half of 2025. The largest increases came from intermodal container transport and cross-border operations.
In general, rail freight volumes in China reached 1,98 billion tonnes in the first six months of the year, +3% on H1 2024, according to Chinese media Global Times. A similar trend (+4%) was noted for the average number of wagons loaded every day, which reached 182,400 units. Over half of the cargo moved is coal, with 1,02 billion tonnes. Among other bulk cargo types, rail transport of metallurgic goods grew by 8.6% and grain shipments rose by 9.8%.
Concerning intermodality, 8,254 million TEUs were transported by the China Railway. This is an 18.1% rise compared to the first half of 2024. Cross-border traffic also grew significantly. Trains to Central Asia increased by 25%, reaching 7,349 convoys, volumes along the China–Laos railway were up 9 per cent (3,03 million tonnes) and China’s rail exports to Vietnam surged by an astounding 283%.