7 Facts You Should Know About The First Direct Train From China To London
It travelled almost 12,000km, making it arguably the longest train journey in the world.
By Sadho Ram — 21 Jan 2017, 04:00 PM
On Wednesday, 18 January, a train — named the East Wind — arrived at its destination in east London at just after 1 pm to become the first direct freight train linking China and the United Kingdom
1. Beginning its long journey from Yiwu, Zhejiang, the East Wind train passed through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France. It then went under the sea, in the channel Tunnel between France and the UK before it arrived in London.
The train's arrival attracted a crowd of onlookers, including this woman who celebrated the new connection with both countries' flags.
Image via Niklas Hallen/AFP/Getty Images via NPR2. The freight train's 34 waggons were carrying a total of 68 containers packed with household goods such as clothes, socks, suitcases, purses and wallets worth a total of £4 million
A dragon welcomes the first East Wind freight train to Barking, east London.
Image via JULIAN SIMMONDS/THE TELEGRAPH3. The East Wind train travelled 7,456 miles (almost 12,000km), making it arguably the longest train journey in the world
The East Wind freight train from Yiwu, in China, smashes through a welcome sign on arriving in Barking, east London, for the first time.
Image via JULIAN SIMMONDS/THE TELEGRAPH4. The train's name is derived from a saying by late Chairman Mao, who once said: "The East Wind shall prevail over the West Wind"
A ceremonial Chinese dragon dances next to a China Railway Express Co Ltd. container loaded on the first freight train to travel from China to the UK.
Image via Bloomberg via The Straits Times5. The freight train's services are half the price that of air cargo, while journey time is two weeks shorter than that by sea
Freight from the first direct rail service from China is unloaded in Britain.
Image via JULIAN SIMMONDS/THE TELEGRAPH6. The train that left Yiwu isn't identical to the one that arrived in London as differing rail gauges in countries along the route mean a single locomotive and set of waggons cannot travel the whole route
The East Wind freight train prepares for its journey at Yiwu station in Zhejiang province of China.
Image via VCG/Getty Images
