From Central China to Central Asia, Henan's freight trains are writing a new chapter in the legacy of the Silk Road.

从中原到中亚，沿着陆上丝绸之路，河南中亚班列翻山越岭，跑出“西行漫记”新故事。

On June 17, the CR Intermodal Zhengzhou Terminal was bustling with activity, as container trucks shuttled back and forth and gantry cranes operated non-stop. As one of China's first-class railway port, the terminal serves as a major hub for international freight trains from Henan and plays a key role in connecting Central China with the world.

6月17日，中铁联集郑州中心站货运繁忙，集装箱卡车穿梭、龙门吊频繁起降。作为铁路国家一类口岸，这里承担着河南国际货运班列的主要开行任务，是中原连通世界的重要节点。

Early in the morning, Gong Yundan, operations supervisor at the CR Intermodal Zhengzhou Terminal, arrived at the site. "Two return trains from Central Asia carrying feed-grade wheat flour are arriving. We need to unload the containers quickly," she said.

一大早，中铁联集郑州中心站业务主管龚赟丹便赶到了场站。“有两列运载饲用小麦粉的中亚回程班列到站，得快速卸运集装箱。”她说。

"Since January, there has been a significant increase in the number of Central Asia freight trains," Gong Yundan showed a chart to the reporter and explained, "So far, the terminal has dispatched 76 outbound trains to Central Asia and handled 213 return trains this year."

“今年以来，中亚班列开行增长明显。”龚赟丹拿出一张表向记者介绍，“截至目前，中心站今年已发运中亚去程班列76列、中亚回程班列213列。”

By midday, after unloading cargo from two return trains from Central Asia, another Central Asia-bound train, fully loaded with machinery such as bridge launching machines and tractors, along with plastic pellets and washing machines, rumbled away.

临近中午，两列中亚回程班列货物卸运完后，一列满载架桥机、拖拉机等机械设备以及塑料粒、洗衣机等货物的中亚班列又隆隆开动。

Since the launch of Henan's first Central Asia-bound freight train (Zhengzhou–Tashkent) on May 18, 2018, more than 2,000 trains have been dispatched, with destinations expanding to cities including Almaty in Kazakhstan over the past seven years.

从2018年5月18日河南首班中亚班列（郑州—塔什干）开行至今，7年多来，河南中亚班列累计开行超2000班，目的站点也拓展到哈萨克斯坦阿拉木图等城市。

Across the vast Eurasian continent, fully loaded freight trains carrying "Made in China" goods thunder across mountains and deserts in a resolute and dynamic demeanor, earning the nickname "steel camels" as they connect Central China with Central Asian countries.

在广袤的欧亚大陆上，一列列满载“中国制造”的中亚班列以铿锵之姿穿行于山川戈壁，成为连接中原与中亚国家的“钢铁驼队”。

"Over the past seven years, the cargo transported by Henan's freight trains to Central Asia has evolved from primary products such as grains and cotton yarn to high value-added goods including machinery, engineering equipment, mining machinery, construction plant equipment, new energy vehicles, textiles and apparel, snacks, and household appliances," said a staff from Zhengzhou International Hub Development and Construction Company. He added that outbound trains mostly carry goods originating from Henan and surrounding areas, mainly serving the province's industrial and trade development, while return trains primarily transport bulk commodities like cotton yarn, mung beans, and ores.

“7年多来，中亚班列运输品类从最初的粮食、棉纱等初级产品发展到现在的机械设备、工程设备、矿山设备、建造厂房用设备、新能源汽车、纺织服装、休闲食品、日用家电等高附加值产品。”中豫国际港务集团郑州国际陆港公司相关负责人介绍，去程班列货物大多来自河南及周边地区，主要服务于河南的产业与贸易发展；回程班列以棉纱、绿豆、矿石等大宗物品居多。

Henan's opening-up momentum is driving deeper and higher-quality cooperation between Central China and the five Central Asian countries.

河南的开放脉动，推动着中原腹地与中亚五国务实合作提质升级。

China Railway Express (Zhengzhou) has launched a special train dedicated to Henan's green tea, bringing its aroma to Central Asia. At the Dongfanghong (Luoyang) International Land Port, regular Central Asia-bound freight trains are in operation, transporting a wide range of "Made in Henan" products - from tractors and refractory materials to photovoltaic components and home building supplies - to the five Central Asian countries. TIR international road transport routes from Henan to Central Asia are becoming increasingly frequent, supported by streamlined procedures such as single declaration, one permit throughout the journey, and direct point-to-point delivery. In May this year, a new "China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan" multimodal transport route combining rail and road was launched, further strengthening the southbound logistics corridor from Zhengzhou to Central Asia.

中欧班列（郑州）河南绿茶专列开行，绿茶香飘中亚；东方红（洛阳）国际陆港常态化开行中亚班列，运载着拖拉机、耐火材料、光伏配件、家居建材等各式“河南造”奔赴中亚五国；一次申报、一证到底、一车直达，河南至中亚地区的TIR国际公路运输线路越跑越密；今年5月，“中吉乌”铁公联运新线路开通，补强了郑州—中亚南向通道的物流网络。

The partnership between Central China and Central Asia is growing broader with each passing year.

中原与中亚，合作之路越走越宽。（中文来源/河南日报 记者/王延辉 编译/杨佳欣 审校/焦丹 赵汉青）

Web editors: Shen Jianqi, Li Siyao