JINAN, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- East China's economic powerhouse province of Shandong has handled 2,500 China-Europe freight trains so far this year, up from 2,057 trips made throughout 2022.

On Tuesday, the 2,500th freight train of 2023, loaded with 1,400 tonnes of appliances including air conditioners, freezers and water heaters, departed from the provincial capital of Jinan heading to Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital.

According to Shandong Hi-Speed Group, the operator of the services, four warehouses have been established in Germany, Poland, Serbia and Uzbekistan to further advance the development of an overseas collection and distribution system and assist businesses in reducing logistics costs.

In recent years, Shandong has launched special trains to transport cross-border e-commerce goods, vehicles, chemicals and tires. According to the operator, the total number of customized special trains departing from the province has exceeded 200 in 2023.