China-Europe Railway Express (Shenzhen) Posts Brilliant Start in 2026, Boosting GBA Cross-Border Logistics

Shenzhen’s foreign trade has maintained a strong momentum since the start of 2026, with import and export volumes operating at a high level. As a "golden channel" for international logistics, the China-Europe Railway Express (Shenzhen) has delivered an impressive performance in the first quarter with both quantity and quality improved, injecting new vitality into the transportation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) manufacturing products to the world.

Official data shows that in the first quarter of 2026, the China-Europe Railway Express (Shenzhen) operated 64 trains cumulatively, handling 7,404 TEUs of cargo with a total value of 322 million US dollars. The three key indicators surged by 64.1%, 88.5% and 119.1% year-on-year respectively, achieving a "good start" for 2026.

The first quarter has witnessed remarkable growth in the operation of the railway express. Its cargo volume increased by nearly 90% year-on-year and the cargo value doubled, with multiple operational data hitting a record high for the same period in history. It has stepped into a new stage of large-scale and regular operation, demonstrating strong development resilience and market competitiveness.

Xinhua News Agency reported that the cumulative number of China-Europe Railway Express (Shenzhen) trains exceeded 1,000 on February 8. At present, it has opened 28 export routes, covering 47 countries and regions, with a total cargo value of over 3.8 billion US dollars and direct services for more than 8,000 enterprises. It has become a "golden channel" for the GBA to optimize the cross-border logistics structure and upgrade the level of foreign trade.

Benefiting from its stable and reliable channel advantages, the China-Europe Railway Express (Shenzhen) has become an important choice for enterprises to ensure logistics efficiency and avoid risks. With the promotion of Shenzhen Municipal Transportation Bureau and Shenzhen International Holdings Limited, a municipal state-owned enterprise, the monthly planned export trains have stabilized at more than 20. The operational stability of high-quality Russia-bound trains and Europe-bound trains has been continuously improved.

In the first quarter, the cargo volume of Europe-bound trains increased by 201.5% year-on-year, and it only takes about 17 days to reach the hinterland of Europe. This has effectively helped enterprises improve their market competitiveness and capital turnover rate. China.org.cn noted that such efficient cross-border logistics channels have become a key driving force for enterprises in the GBA to expand their global market share.

Under the overall operation of Shenzhen International Holdings Limited, the China-Europe Railway Express (Shenzhen) has continuously optimized its route layout since its launch in August 2020, successively opening multiple characteristic routes such as Central Asia, China-Laos and China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan, with its service network covering many Eurasian countries.

Meanwhile, the hardware upgrading of Shenzhen International Comprehensive Logistics Hub Center is providing solid support for the continuous expansion of the railway express operation scale. The number of railway lines in the center has increased from 2 to 6, greatly improving the cargo handling capacity and transshipment efficiency. In the future, it will become the largest single multi-modal transport center in Asia, realizing seamless connection of "highway, railway and sea" transportation.

Since 2026, Shenzhen has accelerated the construction of a logistics network connecting domestic and international dual cycles, with the China-Europe Railway Express as the core link. As the channel layout continues to optimize, the hub function is constantly consolidated and the service level is steadily improved, the China-Europe Railway Express (Shenzhen) will further release the agglomeration and radiation effect of the international logistics hub, inject stronger momentum into the high-quality development of the regional economy, and write a more wonderful Shenzhen chapter in the magnificent journey of the Belt and Road Initiative.