A crane with a Customs information collection system hoists a container for a China-Europe freight train on September 19, in Shenyang. [Photo by Wang Yuqing/For chinadaily.com.cn]

The innovative mode of cooperation between the railway department and Customs has greatly improved the operation efficiency of the freight train service between China and Europe, ensuring the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

In Shenyang, Customs inspection operations have been carried out at a railway hub tailored for the China-Europe freight train, aiming to reduce Customs inspection and clearance time.

It is the first of such measures in China, according to China Railway Shenyang Group and Shenyang Customs.

"We developed China's first information collection system while loading the containers on track with the railway department and the logistics center," said Wang Huan, an official from Shenyang Customs.

In the past, it was usually Customs duty to collect information when the containers were "on the floor". The containers first would be transported to a special yard tailored for Customs to carry out Customs inspection. After the inspection was done, Customs released the containers and then those containers would be transported to the railway freight yard by truck. The process took about 6 to 7 hours for one container, according to Wang.

A worker oversees a crane loading containers for a China-Europe freight train on September 19, in Shenyang. [Photo by Fu Yifang/chinadaily.com.cn]

"Now we have imbedded the software on the crane. When the crane lifts a container, its information such as the number of the container, the weight and the situation of balance, will be collected and uploaded to Customs' platform. When the information has been verified, the train can be released, reducing one process of loading and unloading, and transporting the containers between different yards for inspection. Now the operation time to inspect one container is about one hour," he said.

"In addition, with close cooperation with the railway department, freight yard and the Customs, railway tracks are built in the area under Customs supervision, trains can be checked released and departed once the inspection is completed, greatly reducing the time for Customs clearance," he said.

The first China-Europe freight train departed from the railway hub in March. As of August, more than 230 such trains were operated, carrying over 19,000 containers.

The railway hub, as the largest comprehensive railway freight station and freight distribution center in Northeast China, can cater more than 1,000 China-Europe freight trains every year.

From January to August, 317 China-Europe freight trains were operated by China Railway Shenyang Group, the regional railway operation, a year-on-year increase of 5.6 percent.

In 2014, the company operated the first China-Europe freight train from Yingkou of Liaoning to Moscow.

As of August, more than 4,000 such trains were operated by the company.

A fully-loaded freight train departs from Shenyang via Manzhouli, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and heads to Moscow on September, 19. [Photo by Fu Yifang/chinadaily.com.cn]