On the Way to China (I): Mortara, Italy

In 2011, the China-Europe rail freight service went into operation. Faster than a ship and cheaper than a plane, it ushered in a new era for rail freight. The launch of the Belt and Road Initiative two years later put it on a fast track to development. Seen as a "Belt and Road on rails," the service gave a new energy to the efforts to revive the ancient trading Silk Road route.

So far, the network has spread to include more than 40 lines connecting cities deep inside China with destinations across Central Asia, Russia, and Europe. Over 12,000 trains have made the transcontinental voyage between China and Europe. In 2018 alone, that number was 6,363, up 73 percent from a year before. Over one-third of the trains were bound for China, rising by 111 percent year-on-year.

The first freight train from Italy to China made the trip in late 2017. It mainly carried precision mechanics, cars, furniture, and tiles from Mortara to Chengdu, a journey of around 11,000 kilometers. Although Italy exports less to China than some other European countries, such as Germany and France, the volume of goods making the journey along the rail line is expected to rise sharply now, as Italy has become the first G-7 country to sign on to the Belt and Road Initiative.

Mario Corrado and Valentina Rossi Mori, both based in Italy, contributed to this video.