A new station for China-Europe rail freight departures has opened in Wuhan, central China. The Xianglushan station marks the second such station in the city and the Hubei province.
The first train, bound for Kazakhstan, has already departed from the rail hub, write Chinese media. The new station is supposed to reduce transportation time by two days. Transportation costs will also benefit, which should shrink by 15%.
Chinese media point out that trade between the Hubei province and Central Asian countries has been growing in recent years. It launched the first freight service to Kazakhstan in 2021. By April 2025, freight trains became part of regular routes, with more than 440 TEU transported monthly.
Meanwhile, the older departure station in Wuhan sent its first train on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan route. Currently, construction work is ongoing for a railway line from China to Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan, so part of the route will have to be done by truck for now.