A freight train departs from Hai'an, Nantong on May 26, heading for Hanoi, Vietnam. [Photo/WeChat account: wxntfb]

The first international freight train traveling from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region to ASEAN countries departed from the Hai'an logistics base in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province on May 26 and will arrive Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, in five days.

The freight train was carrying 70 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of machinery equipment components, textiles, photovoltaic products, and more.

China-Europe freight trains first started operating in 2011. Three main routes have been developed which connect over 40 cities in 15 countries throughout Europe. In the first four months of this year, 2,920 trains have run, transporting 262,000 TEUs in total.

ASEAN countries, such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam, have built strong relationships with Hai'an. It will be easier for Nantong enterprises to expand their markets with the help of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the high-speed rail.

The Hai'an logistics base was founded by China Railway Shanghai Group in 2016 in the Hai'an trade logistics industrial park – which won a provincial title the same year. The base has worked with several foreign countries, especially those involved in the BRI.

The Hai'an China-Europe freight trains are expected to serve as a new international logistics channel, integrating useful resources in the YRD region and surrounding coastal areas. Four to six trains will run every month.