Rail freight from Hebei makes way to Hanoi

Hebei province is strengthening its role as a logistics hub for China-ASEAN trade, with the launch of an upgraded rail freight route aimed at streamlining cargo movement and cutting supply chain costs.

A freight train carrying castings, fasteners and grease products departed from Caozhuangzhen Freight Station in Handan on March 5, marking the official opening of a direct rail route linking to Vietnam. The route runs along the Hanhuang (Handan-Huanghua) Railway and connects the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.

The service, as the province's first direct freight link to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations market this year, aims to streamline trade flows between North China and Southeast Asia while reducing logistics costs for regional businesses, according to local authorities.