* As the China-Europe Railway Express marks the 10th anniversary of its unified brand, cities along the route are gaining new momentum through more resilient supply chains, expanded business opportunities and closer economic cooperation.

* Today, the railway has expanded its operational network to 236 cities in 26 European countries and over 100 cities across 11 Asian countries, transporting an increasingly diverse range of goods between the two continents.

* Across Europe, cities connected by the railway have gradually expanded their role from transport nodes into logistics, warehousing and distribution hubs, creating new opportunities for local businesses and investment.

WARSAW, June 29 (Xinhua) -- At logistics terminals across Europe, cranes unload containers arriving from China before the cargo is transported to factories, warehouses and retailers across the continent.

Over the past decade, such scenes have become increasingly common as the China-Europe Railway Express (CRE) has grown into an important logistics corridor connecting businesses and markets between China and Europe.

As the railway marks the 10th anniversary of its unified brand, cities along the route are gaining new momentum through more resilient supply chains, expanded business opportunities and closer economic cooperation.

This photo taken on April 29, 2024 shows a storehouse at Csepel Freeport Logistics Park of the Central European Trade and Logistics Cooperation Zone in Budapest, Hungary. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

BUILDING RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAINS

The past decade has witnessed the CRE rapidly evolve from an emerging transport option into an established pillar of China-Europe logistics.

The annual number of train trips rose from 1,702 in 2016 to 20,022 in 2025, with an average annual growth rate of 31.5 percent.

Today, the railway has expanded its operational network to 236 cities in 26 European countries and over 100 cities across 11 Asian countries, transporting an increasingly diverse range of goods between the two continents.

For many European companies, the railway's value lies in its ability to complement traditional shipping routes while providing greater flexibility in managing supply chains.

Polish logistics company Real Logistics is among the companies benefiting from this trend, with rail freight becoming an increasingly important option for customers seeking a balance between speed, cost and operational efficiency.

According to General Manager Pawel Moskala, rail transport from China to Poland typically takes around 20 days, compared with 46 to 50 days by sea, allowing companies to replenish inventories more quickly and respond more flexibly to market demand.

He added that more customers now incorporate rail services into their long-term logistics planning rather than using them only as an alternative during supply-chain disruptions.

The same trend is playing out elsewhere, according to German freight forwarder M&M air sea cargo GmbH.

Bezaf Zeway, head of the company's rail business segment, said the China-Europe Railway Express enables German companies to optimize supply chains, increase procurement flexibility and reduce inventory costs by shortening transit and storage times.

Having proved its value during the COVID-19 pandemic and other periods of global supply-chain disruption, the railway has become "a mature, trusted and well-established component of international supply chains," he said.

According to Michael Schumann, chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA), the railway's significance extends beyond transport itself.

"No single choke point can shut the whole system down," he said, noting that the railway operates across multiple corridors. "In a world of persistent geopolitical volatility, that matters enormously to businesses planning three to five years ahead."

Balazs Gazso (L), CEO of CECZ Logistic Park Management Kft., poses for a photo at the Vac Smart Fulfillment Center in Vac, Hungary, on June 26, 2026. (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua)

BOOSTING LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

The railway's influence reaches far beyond logistics.

Across Europe, cities connected by the railway have gradually expanded their role from transport nodes into logistics, warehousing and distribution hubs, creating new opportunities for local businesses and investment.

The transformation is evident in Lodz, central Poland, one of the key inland logistics hubs linked with the CRE.

Among the companies that have grown alongside the railway is Hatrans Logistics. Its involvement dates back to the early years of the Chengdu-Lodz service, one of the first regular freight train connections between China and Poland.

Recalling the company's cooperation with the CRE, Filip Grzelak, owner and board member of Hatrans Logistics, said, "It helped us grow. It was a very good moment in the history of our company."

Today, the company serves customers in several Chinese cities, including Chengdu, Xi'an and Chongqing.

In Malaszewicze, a Polish village of just 4,000 people on the Belarusian border, the railway has transformed more than freight flows. Home to one of Europe's largest inland rail transshipment hubs, the town has seen trucking firms, customs brokers and other logistics businesses flourish alongside the trains, says Malgorzata Biegajlo, container transshipment manager at logistics company Inbap.

As logistics activity expanded, so did employment. At Germany's Duisburg Port, the CRE has attracted more than 100 logistics companies, creating more than 20,000 job opportunities.

One of those jobs went to Thomas Krajnicki, who joined Yuxinou Germany GmbH in 2019 after being assigned through a temporary employment agency.

Initially hired as a temporary replacement, he secured a permanent position just a few months later, beginning a new career at the age of 52.

Nearly seven years later, Krajnicki still works at the company's Duisburg logistics center, handling containers arriving from China.

"For me personally, this is the best thing that could have happened to me at my age," he said, adding that it has provided financial stability and the opportunity to work alongside Chinese colleagues.

A worker checks container information beside a freight train at iHub Lodz, a logistics center in Lodz, Poland, June 25, 2026. (Xinhua/Yue Yuanyuan)

A WIDENING NETWORK

As the CRE enters its second decade under a unified brand, industry participants believe its role is expanding beyond freight transport to support broader cooperation between Chinese and European businesses.

Chinese and European logistics companies are strengthening cooperation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route through greater digitalization, information sharing and closer alignment of operational standards, improving transport efficiency across the route, according to Irfan Tulan, vice general manager of Trans-Eurasia Germany GmbH, an international logistics service provider.

Closer cooperation is also supporting the growth of cross-border e-commerce. Tulan said the railway's stable and punctual services have enabled more parcels to be transported between China and Europe by rail, providing reliable logistics support for e-commerce businesses.

The impact is evident north of Budapest, where the Central European Trade and Logistics Cooperation Zone (CECZ) has developed into a key logistics hub for China-Europe e-commerce.

According to Balazs Gazso, CEO of CECZ Logistic Park Management Kft., the park has attracted a growing number of customers, including Temu, AliExpress and Shein, many of which initially entered via rail services before expanding their logistics operations.

Looking ahead, Schumann, BWA chairman, pointed out that the railway's long-term potential will depend not only on expanding capacity but also on strengthening cooperation between China and Europe.

Citing an analysis by the Asian Development Bank, he noted that the corridor's capacity could quadruple by 2040.

"If we use that capacity wisely -- with transparent rules, reciprocal market access and high technical standards -- the railway will not just carry goods; it will carry the relationship forward."