Central Asia, Laos routes drive growth in China’s rail cargo

China’s international rail operations expanded further, with 8,526 freight train trips to Central Asia, marking a 23.2 per cent rise. The China–Laos Railway also reported growth, transporting more than 3.44 million tonnes of cross-border cargo, an increase of 6.4 per cent, according to China State Railway Group Co, Ltd.

Meanwhile, the country’s railways transported 246 million tonnes of cargo in July, up 17 per cent year-over-year (YoY), surpassing June’s 15.5 per cent growth, high-speed rail freight surged 70 per cent. From January to July, cargo shipments reached 1.7 billion tonnes, a rise of 15.1 per cent YoY.

China’s International rail routes expanded, including a 23.2 per cent rise in Central Asia trips and 6.4 per cent growth on the China–Laos Railway.
The country’s rail freight grew strongly in July, with 246 million tonnes moved, up 17 per cent YoY, while high-speed rail freight surged 70 per cent.
From January–July, shipments totalled 1.7 billion tonnes, up 15.1 per cent.

The railway operator also highlighted broader freight performance for January–July 2025. The network carried more than 2.33 billion tonnes of cargo, up 3.3 per cent YoY, with an average of 183,300 loaded freight cars daily.

Looking ahead, the group said it will advance the development of a modern logistics system, deepen reforms in freight transport, and improve efficiency and service quality.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)