In Chongqing, a bustling inland metropolis in southwest China, lies a place called "Tuanjiecun," meaning "united village." Indeed, it serves as a vital link "uniting" the world through an extensive rail network that stretches in all directions: west, east, north, and south.

At Tuanjiecun Station, spanning over 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares), over a dozen train tracks sprawl across the landscape. Bright orange cranes diligently maneuver containers labeled with characters reading "China-Europe Freight Train" and "New Land-Sea Corridor," referring to two pivotal freight rail routes connecting Chongqing with over 100 European and Southeast Asian cities.

These containers at the station accommodate a diverse assortment of goods -- over 10,000 varieties -- either arriving in or departing from China.

Among them are new energy vehicles, digital gadgets, mechanical equipment, and light industrial products manufactured in China, as well as cargo from around the world, such as whole cars, medicine, medical equipment, and commodities such as agricultural products.

In 2023, Tuanjiecun Station's total round-trip cargo volume of international transportation routes reached about 250,000 TEU containers, according to Wang Haixiang from China Railway Container Transportation Co., Ltd.

WHERE IT STARTS

The everyday hustle and bustle at Tuanjiecun Station was unimaginable before 2011. That year, the inaugural China-Europe freight train, ready for a 15-day journey to Germany, sounded its horn for departure in Tuanjiecun, then a modest train stop nestled amid farmlands.

The pivotal moment unfolded Tuanjiecun's remarkable transformation into a world-class freight logistics hub, spearheading Chongqing's ambition to become a key gateway for the vast inland western region of China to engage with the world. Yet, success didn't come overnight.

In its early years of operation, a challenge loomed over the long-term success of the China-Europe freight train service: freight train carriages filled with Chongqing-made laptops departed from Tuanjiecun heading west but returned empty.

"That situation posed a cost burden and, more importantly, hindered the China-Europe freight train service from growing into a key international logistics transportation channel," said Zhang Luyao from Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd., the operator of China-Europe freight train service in Chongqing.

However, Zhang noted that foreign exporters' skepticism toward the China-Europe freight train service at that time was totally "justifiable." "It must take time to prove that our service is reliable."

Three years after the inaugural journey to Germany, the first cargo train laden with high-end European goods arrived at Tuanjiecun Station.

As the China-Europe freight train service gained credibility as a viable alternative to air or sea freight, its popularity surged among foreign exporters.

Today, the daily average of China-Europe freight trains leaving and arriving in Chongqing is around 10 in the first quarter of 2024, which is a stark contrast with the 17 trains in the entire year of 2011. Furthermore, each train that returns from Europe is fully loaded.

"The two-way flow of goods is a testament to our service's growing influence," Zhang said.

WHERE IT IS HEADING

Over the past decade, Tuanjiecun Station's role has expanded significantly, bridging China's western hinterland with the global market.

In 2014, the northward Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia railway freight service was opened. Three years later, the inaugural cargo train departed from Tuanjiecun, bound for Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region's Qinzhou port in the south. This marked the inauguration of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, linking the inland region with Southeast Asia.

In 2018, a new international freight service utilizing a sea-rail combined transport route commenced operations in Tuanjiecun. This development streamlined the flow of goods between western China and the global market via the eastern port city of Ningbo.

The launch of the China-Laos Railway in 2021 has brought Tuanjiecun even closer to ASEAN countries. Consequently, an increasing amount of fruit and other agricultural products from Southeast Asia can now reach the Chinese market.

Jiang Tong, a veteran train driver at Tuanjiecun Station who drove the inaugural China-Europe freight train, has spent the past decades on the freight train tracks.

With only months left before his retirement, Jiang reflected on his years of service with pride. "With my hand on the lever, China embraces the world, and the world reaches China," Jiang said.