XI'AN, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, saw a surge in China-Europe freight train trips in 2020 despite the impact of COVID-19, local authorities told a press conference on Monday.

The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service operated 3,720 trains last year, 1.7 times that of the previous year, with a total of 1,311 trains bound for Xi'an.

During the period, the train service transported more than 2.81 million tonnes of cargo, increasing by 60 percent year on year. Both the cargo volumes and the number of train trips ranked high among Chinese cities that operate the China-Europe freight service.

To sustain international cooperation in containing COVID-19, more than 80,000 tonnes of anti-epidemic supplies have been transported to Europe so far via the Chang'an cargo route.

Since its launch in November 2013, the Chang'an service has opened 15 cargo routes linking Xi'an with destinations in Asia and Europe. Enditem