An Iran-Yiwu all-rail freight train departs from Qom, Iran on July 21. [Photo/zgyww.cn]

A China-Europe freight train carrying 100 containers of gypsum powder departed from Qom, Iran, for Yiwu, Zhejiang province, on July 21. The journey is expected to take 15 days.

Previously, the Yiwu-Anzali Port (Iran) route used a multimodal transport system involving rail and sea, with transshipments at Kazakhstan's Aktau Port and Iran's Anzali Port.

On April 23, the railway departments of China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran met to resume the China-Iran container train service. Their efforts led to the successful opening of the all-rail transport corridor between Iran and China, enhancing economic and trade cooperation.

Challenges such as Caspian Sea shipping capacity and extreme weather affected transport efficiency. The new Qom-Yiwu all-rail service ensures higher efficiency and smoother operations, marking a new chapter in China-Iran rail transport.

Yiwu Tianmeng Industrial Investment Co Ltd, specializing in international railway transport, launched the first Yiwu-Iran route in 2016. The company has operated 68 trains, transporting 5,832 containers, including 54 outbound trains with 4,618 containers and 14 return trains with 1,214 containers.

As a new form of all-rail transport, the launch of the Iran-Yiwu all-rail train will make the transport corridor more stable and smooth, with more precise timing and higher market acceptance. This lays a solid foundation for the regular bilateral operation of the Iran-Yiwu China-Europe freight train.