By Jin Lu

A freight train carrying small household appliances manufactured in Ningbo recently departed from Yining Station in Xinjiang, bound for Almaty, Kazakhstan. The shipment will exit China via the Khorgos border crossing before continuing westward.

Since the launch of the route in February, more than 300 containers of goods, valued at over 280 million yuan, have been transported.

"Ningbo-made lighting, radiators, umbrellas, toys, solar panels, vacuum cleaners, as well as Japanese and Korean goods imported via Ningbo Zhoushan Port are all popular with Kazakh consumers," said Wang Sijun, chairman of Ningbo Railway-Waterway Intermodal Logistics Supply Chain Co., Ltd.

The new route shortens transit times between Ili and Kazakhstan, cuts logistics costs, and provides a more efficient option for businesses expanding into Central Asia.

Located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Ili serves as a critical gateway connecting China to Central Asia, West Asia, and parts of Europe. Previously, goods from Ningbo destined for Kazakhstan relied on the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight service. However, with rising trade volumes between China and Central Asia, congestion has turned Khorgos into a bottleneck, especially at peak shipping seasons

To ease the strain, Ningbo Zhoushan Port partnered with authorities in Ili to establish Yining as a new transit hub. By tapping into the Yining-Central Asia rail corridor, the route improves export efficiency from Ningbo, particularly for electric vehicles and energy storage systems - products that Central Asian markets have growing demand for.

Estimates suggest the train could handle 27,000 tons of cargo annually, boosting trade between China and Kazakhstan by 1 billion yuan.

"We're currently working on launching a direct rail freight service from Ningbo Zhoushan Port to Kazakhstan, with the goal of achieving door-to-door delivery in just seven days—more than 40% faster than traditional routes," Wang added.

The new east-west rail corridor helps close a long-standing gap in direct rail links between Ningbo and Central Asia. It also addresses inefficiencies in traditional sea-rail intermodal systems, such as frequent transfers and inconsistent transit times.