Freight train traffic through Alataw Pass, a major rail gateway in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, has exceeded 3,000 trips this year, 19 days earlier than in 2025, amid rising demand for overland trade with Europe and Central Asia. China Railway Urumqi Group Co Ltd stated that a China-Europe freight train bound for Malaszewicze in Poland, carrying machinery, auto parts and electronic products, pushed the port’s handled freight train number past the 3,000 threshold.

This faster pace highlights Xinjiang’s rail ports’ growing role in China’s westbound logistics network. Since the start of the year, Alataw Pass has handled an average of over 20 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight trains daily, with a peak of 35 trains a day, and its handling capacity and turnaround efficiency have kept improving, according to the local railway station.

China’s latest national railway operating plan, launched in the second quarter, added Central Asia-bound freight services from Beijing, Tianjin and Zhangjiakou via Alataw Pass, expanding the port’s rail route network. Alataw Pass Customs has taken measures including faster clearance for inbound grain under conditional release and additional night-shift inspections to reduce cargo dwell time; an official said these steps cut storage costs, improved goods flow while maintaining quarantine oversight.

Currently, Alataw Pass serves 128 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train routes, connecting China with 21 countries such as Germany and Poland, with over 200 types of goods including auto parts, electronics and daily necessities passing through.