MORE than a decade ago, Filip Grzelak spent Christmas night at a border crossing, waiting for one of the first freight trains linking Chengdu in southwest China with Lodz in central Poland.
For Grzelak, the long wait was more than just a demanding work shift. It marked the beginning of a business partnership that his family believed would grow into a lasting connection.
“It required a great deal of effort,” he recalled. “But it marked the beginning of cooperation that has continued to develop ever since.”
That early optimism has since evolved into a vast logistics network spanning Eurasia.
Since the China-Europe Railway Express was launched under a unified brand in 2016, annual train journeys have increased nearly twelvefold, from 1,702 in 2016 to 20,022 in 2025, according to China State Railway Group Co Ltd. The range of goods transported has expanded as well, now covering more than 50,000 products across 53 categories. In 2025 alone, cargo valued at US$ 67.7 billion was shipped via the network. — Xinhua
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