STORY: China-Europe Railway Express vitalizes regions along its route: German expert
SHOOTING TIME: April 8, 2024
DATELINE: April 11, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:47
LOCATION: DUISBURG, Germany
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the China-Europe Railway Express
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): BERND NOCHE, Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany
3. various of the China-Europe Railway Express
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): BERND NOCHE, Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany

STORYLINE:

The China-Europe Railway Express has injected vitality into Duisburg, a key transportation hub in the Ruhr region of Germany, and has opened up new development opportunities for the countries and cities along its route, a German professor has said.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): BERND NOCHE, Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany
"It (China-Europe Railway Express) is a very interesting link and from the worldwide point of view, unique.
Now, when we see the railway connection, this is a unique transport because it is faster than the ship, but lower price than the plane. We have a lot of goods which are suitable to be transported here."

According to data from Duisport, the ownership and management company of the Port of Duisburg, connections between Chinese cities and Duisburg now take between 12 and 18 days for transportation.

About 60 trains arrive on Duisburg each week via the rail service, with the goods on the trains subsequently transported to domestic seaports or neighboring countries in Europe.

Noche also noted that the "Belt and Road Initiative" has great potential to form a "new Silk Road," connecting different regions along the route which the China-Europe Railway Express runs.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): BERND NOCHE, Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany
"We want to involve further countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, for instance. I think that's the big chance. This "silk road," it's like a belt which connects different regions. With this connection, we are also exchanging (with) more people in the end.
The initiative can enlarge these business activities a lot." 

The China-Europe Railway Express project connects 120 Chinese cities with 219 cities across 25 European countries.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Duisburg, Germany.
(XHTV)