First freight train links Nanchang and Russia

NANCHANG, April 21 (Xinhua) -- East China's Jiangxi Province has launched a new freight train route to Russia.

A train carrying clothes, electrical products and suitcases left Nanchang city on Friday for Moscow. It is the first freight train linking the city with Europe.

The 10,000-kilometer trip will take 15 days, and run every week from June, according to local railway authorities.

The new freight route will promote the foreign trade of Nanchang city.

Demand for rail freight between China and Europe, an alternative to slower and riskier ocean shipping and costlier air cargo, has exploded in recent years.