On the afternoon of Feb. 18, the first two-way China Railway Express (Qilu) from Qingdao, China to Mannheim, Germany, was launched from Qingdao Multimodal Transport Center in SCO Demonstration Zone.

The "Qingdao, China - Mannheim, Germany" freight train runs over 10,000 kilometers across the Eurasian continent, traveling through six countries including China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany. The 100-container train is expected to arrive at Mannheim, Germany, in 19 days.

According to statistics, in 2021, the China Railway Express (Qilu) in Shandong province ran more than 1,800 trains, ranking firmly in the forefront of the country. There are 51 international routes operating directly to 54 cities in 23 countries along the Belt and Road. Among them, the operation and shipment volume of China Railway Express in SCO Demonstration Zone have reached a record high. Since 2021, 12 new international train lines have been added to the SCO Demonstration Zone, connecting 49 cities in 20 countries of the SCO and along the Belt and Road.