The number of China-Europe freight train trips operated by Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, topped 4,000 in the first three quarters of 2024, surpassing one fourth of the country's total.
In the first three quarters of the year, China-Europe freight train trips totaled 14,689, with the number of routes rising to 93.
Xi'an sent 4,041 China-Europe freight train trips in the first nine months of this year, up 33.4 percent year on year.
Zhou Junxi, the yardmaster of the port station, organized the first China-Europe freight train of Shaanxi in the autumn of 2013.
"We started the first freight train in 2013, and it took seven years for us to operate 4,000 train trips. But this year, we have completed 4,000 trips over only nine months," said Zhou.
Xi'an is also the home port for the Chine-Europe train service line with the highest frequencies nationwide. The freight trains, set out from Xi'an and bound for Duisburg in Germany, which used to operate two departures and one return per week, now have four departures and three returns, making it the most densely operated full-route timetable service.
Xi'an operates over 4,000 China-Europe train trips in Jan-Sept period
Israeli strikes against Iran may lead to further tension escalation in the region, especially amid ongoing conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, and turn the Middle East into an "uncontrollable fireball," warned experts in Egypt on Sunday.
Strong explosions were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran in the early hours of Saturday, as Israel confirmed that it had launched precise strikes on military targets in Iran in response to months of continuous attacks from the country.
"Egypt's concern about this situation stems from its rich experience in the region. Egypt believes that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran could potentially draw in international powers from other regions, turning the area into an uncontrollable fireball," said Hani Al-Jamal, a researcher in political and regional affairs.
Abdel Fattah, an Egyptian expert in international relations, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the region's fragility amid persisting conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
"The main reasons for concern about this attack are as follows. Firstly, Israel has for the first time declared a strike against Iran's hinterland, marking a shift in the conflict between Israel and Iran from proxy and covert wars to direct conflict. Secondly, this attack occurred amid tensions in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, as well as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The region can no longer bear any further escalation of conflict," said Fattah.
The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, and also a prisoner swap agreement, saying that is the only way to ease the tension.
"Egypt has always believed that peace and stability in the Middle East require addressing the root causes of issues rather than just treating the symptoms. The root of the issue lies in Israel's current occupation and attacks on the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and southern Lebanon. Therefore, to ease conflicts and reduce tensions, all Israeli attacks should be halted, and agreements should be reached for exchange of prisoners. This would pave the way for rebuilding and restoring humanitarian aid and resuming negotiations to achieve the goal of establishing the State of Palestine based on the June 4,1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital," said Fattah.
The strikes came after several public threats from Israel. The previous threats include attacks on Iran’s military facilities in response to Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attacks.
Iran launched some 200 ballistic missiles targeting Tel Aviv’s key locations. Iran said the attack in early October was in retaliation for Israel's assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and IRGC General Abbas Nilforoushan.
Israeli strikes against Iran likely evolve into "uncontrollable fireball", Egyptian experts
