The Hai'an-ASEAN freight train is now included in a key railway operations plan, which is said to mark a breakthrough in Hai'an city's railway transport development. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Hai'an – a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – is reportedly making considerable progress in the development of its cross-border rail freight sector.

On Oct 12 a Hai'an-ASEAN freight train departed from the Shanghai Railway Administration's Hai'an railway logistics base and headed for Hanoi, capital of Vietnam.

It carried 41 containers fully loaded with commodities – such as paper products, hardware tools and diesel engines – and it was the first train of its kind.

"Previously, the freight trains from Hai'an to ASEAN were not included in the railway operating plan," said Wang Weiguo, general manager of the Shanghai Railway Administration's Hai'an railway logistics base.

After being included in the operations plan, the trains will have fixed routes and departing times, which will effectively reduce the logistics cost of the businesses in Hai'an and surrounding areas.

The Hai'an-Hanoi trains are scheduled to run on Fridays – taking 72 hours to reach Pingxiang Port in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, with five to seven days to get to their destination.

The Hai'an-ASEAN freight train's inclusion in the railway operations plan is said to mark a breakthrough in the city's railway transport development.