The inaugural ceremony of the China-Europe freight train from Qingdao to Mannheim in Germany, which launched on Feb 18. CHEN XINGHUA/FOR CHINA DAILY

In the first half of this year, the China-Europe freight train service continued to grow rapidly in the China-SCO demonstration zone, with 430 trains running in total, up 44.8 percent year-on-year.

There were 213 return freight trains, a record high. Loaded with plates, grain, mineral products, coal and other special products of SCO countries, the freight trains have played a crucial role in helping stabilize the international logistics supply chain with shortened transportation time and reduced freight costs.

The China-SCO demonstration zone in Qingdao, Shandong province has operated 25 international and domestic freight train routes, connecting 49 cities and 20 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The SCO demonstration zone is designed to serve Qingdao's new position as a pivot connecting the East and West through its land-sea transport systems. The demonstration zone is close to the transport center of Qingdao, where cargo is unloaded from sea vessels and loaded onto trains bound for Central Asia and other BRI countries and regions.

The China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area is located in Jiaozhou, Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]