The multi-customer train is carrying 41 containers and is expected to complete the 10,214km journey within 17 days, more than 20 days faster than the sea voyage. Products on the first train include industrial robots for a major engineering company in China.

The train runs via Poland, Russia, and Kazakhstan, with the containers being transhipped from 1435mm gauge to 1520mm gauge wagons at the Polish-Belarusian border and back to standard-gauge vehicles at the Kazakh-Chinese frontier.

A Zhengzhou – Billwerder service began operating last August and has carried more than 40,000 TEU since its launch.