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Xinjiang's int'l rail freight bullish in 2017

  URUMQI, March 5 (Xinhua) -- A total of 2,226 westbound international cargo trains ran through northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 2017, according to local authorities.

  It marked a yearly increase of 18.6 percent, according to the Urumqi Customs.

  About 1.16 million tonnes of cargo worth over 16 billion U.S. dollars were transported last year. Almost 90 percent of the trains ran between China and Europe, according to the customs office.

  More than 200 types of products, ranging from daily necessities and garments to mechanical equipment and electronic components, were transported via 19 routes to 24 cities in 17 countries in Central Asia and Europe, said Nan Jun, vice general manager of Xinjiang Xintie International Logistics Company.

  Westbound freight trains from other parts of China stopped in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, before exiting the country through Horgos or Alataw Pass for destinations in Central Asia or Europe.

  Last year, 70 percent of the China-Europe trains exited China from Xinjiang.

  "After years of development, Xinjiang has transformed from the logistic channel for China-Europe trains to an international logistic hub," said Peng Ji, deputy director of the regional economic and information commission. Enditem