The X9053 train pulled out from Qisumu railway station in Ulanqab League toward Almaty in Kazakhstan at 10:40 am on Nov 20, embarking on a brand new track along the ancient Silk Road.

The X9053 train pulled out of Qisumu railway station in Ulanqab League towards Almaty in Kazakhstan at 10:40 am on Nov 20. [Photo/nmgnews.com]

With 41 carriages, the Ulanqab-Almaty train crosses 4,532 kilometers and runs for eight days, crossing stations including Hohhot, Baotou, Linhe, Ejin Banner, Hami, Urumqi, Alashankou, Dostyk, and then finally Almaty, a trade hub linking China to West Asia and Europe.

The train line was jointly invested in by the Ulanqab government, the Hohhot railway administration, the China Railway Container Transport Company, and the Inner Mongolia Communications Investment Company.

Officials attend the opening ceremony of the Ulanqab-Almaty railway at Qisumu railway station in Ulanqab League on Nov 20. [Photo/northnews.cn]

Driven by the Ulanqab-Almaty railway, local products including potatoes, carrots, organic livestock, and industrial graphene are exported toward Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and many cities in West Asia and Europe. Thanks to the line, many logistics companies and bases are emerging to push the Belt and Road Initiative toward the next stage of development.

On Oct 17, the National Development and Reform Commission announced a development project—the Construction of China-Europe Railways, in which Erenhot, Manzhouli and Ulanqab were mentioned as main hub cities built along the train route.

The route of the Ulanqab-Almaty railway stretches 4,532 kilometers and runs for eight days, crossing stations including Hohhot, Baotou, Linhe, Ejin Banner, Hami, Urumqi, Alashankou, and Dostyk before finally arriving in Almaty. [Photo/nmgnews.com]