A freight train prepares to depart Linfen city, Shanxi province, for Italy on Oct 25. [Photo/sxgov.cn]

Loaded with Shanxi-made precision castings, a train departed Linfen city in Shanxi province for Italy on Oct 25, becoming the city's third freight train service to Europe, after the previous two departed for Germany and Poland.

Setting out from Fanglue International Bonded Inland Port, the train will travel around 15 days to Lugo in Italy, passing through five countries including Kazakhstan, Russia, and Germany.

The loaded exports, manufactured by Shanxi Huaxiang Group, were loaded into 73 containers which were put in the train's 41 cars.

"Compared to two freight trains before, this freight train has GPS electronic locks installed on containers, allowing recipients to receive transport information about their goods long before they arrive," said Wu Kangbo, director of the Bonded Logistics Operations Division of Fanglue Inland Port Group.

As part of Linfen's move to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, the launch of the three freight trains to Europe will help eliminate a bottleneck of cross-border railway transportation in south Shanxi, promote Linfen-made products overseas, and give impetus to the city's economy.