en.Wedoany.com Reported - In the early hours of July 18, the X8588 "Xinjiang Fruit Export" Fresh Express train, equipped with a 40-foot backpack-type refrigerated container, departed from Xinjiang Urumqi Sanping Station, loaded with grapes and Hami melons, heading to Xi'an International Port. This marks the official launch of the "China Railway Fresh Express" train product by China Railway Special Cargo Logistics Co., Ltd. The fresh fruits from Xinjiang can be transported to Xi'an and surrounding markets in as little as 36 hours, compressing the previous transit time by approximately three days.

Xinjiang boasts prominent advantages in agricultural resources, with high-quality agricultural and livestock products such as fruits, livestock, and grains renowned across China. According to statistics from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Cold Chain Logistics Association, as of 2025, the planting area of fruit trees in Xinjiang reached 20.21 million mu, with an annual output of approximately 14.61 million tons. Due to the long distance, it previously took about five days to transport fresh products from Urumqi, Xinjiang, to Xi'an, Shaanxi, by rail, making it difficult to meet the transportation needs of short-shelf-life products like fresh fruits and milk.

China Railway Special Cargo Logistics Co., Ltd. collaborated with China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd. to precisely understand the needs of upstream and downstream customers. Leveraging the nationwide railway network advantage, they optimized the "China Railway Fresh Express" transportation plan. Adopting a passenger-train-like operation model, they integrated the professional cold chain technology and equipment of China Railway Special Cargo with the efficient and fast transport services of express e-commerce trains. They coordinated the attachment of refrigerated containers to the X8588 train, building a "door-to-door" cold chain logistics network to facilitate large-scale and regular transportation of Xinjiang's specialty agricultural and sideline products.

Liu Xianfeng, Manager of the White Goods Logistics Department of the Logistics Division of China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd., said: "The Fresh Express train opens up the entire logistics service chain from the field to the dining table. Using railway refrigerated containers as 'mobile preservation chambers' and relying on the fast speed and fixed schedule of the passenger-train-like operation model, it achieves a transition from 'being able to transport' to 'transporting fresh products'."

The transit time for railway cold chain transportation from Urumqi to Xi'an has been significantly reduced from five days to 36 hours. The Fresh Express train is expected to save overall logistics costs by over 20%, providing a stable and reliable new channel out of Xinjiang for short-shelf-life products like grapes and fresh milk.

Gu Xuemin, General Manager of the Urumqi Branch of China Railway Special Cargo Logistics Co., Ltd., introduced that the inaugural "China Railway Fresh Express" train product uses a 40-foot backpack-type refrigerated container equipped with an independent diesel generator set. The temperature inside the container can be precisely set between minus 30 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius based on the type of goods. Each container operates independently for cooling without interference, and can transmit key data such as temperature, humidity, location, and equipment status in real time, enabling 24-hour uninterrupted monitoring and automatic alerts. Customers can track the transportation trajectory of their goods in real time through the "Special Cargo Customer Service" WeChat mini-program. The "China Railway Fresh Express" train product adopts a customized logistics service model. Customers can call the China Railway Special Cargo service hotline to specify their logistics needs. The company will then precisely formulate a tailored logistics plan based on the customer's goods type, transportation volume, temperature control requirements, and terminal connection conditions, providing end-to-end logistics services including "direct loading at origin, direct trunk line transport, and direct distribution at destination."

With the successful launch of the first "China Railway Fresh Express" train, Xinjiang's high-quality fresh products have achieved a leap from "selling locally" to "selling nationwide." It is reported that China Railway Special Cargo will continue to increase the frequency of train departures, gradually expand the range of goods, and improve full-chain services such as pre-cooling at origin and terminal distribution, promoting the regular, large-scale, and standardized operation of the "China Railway Fresh Express" train, providing a safe, convenient, and fast new logistics option for various specialty agricultural products.