The Urumqi-Guangyuan freight train carrying 2,500 tons of aluminum ingot arrives in Guangyuan, Sichuan province, on Jan 15, 2024. [Photo by Liu Huaiying]

A special train loaded with 2,500 tons of aluminum ingot from Northwest China's Urumqi arrived in Guangyuan, Southwest China's Sichuan province, on Jan 15, 2024, with the trip taking five days and spanning some 2,500 kilometers.

During normal operation, the train will run four times per month and is expected to transport 250,000 tons of aluminum to Guangyuan throughout the year.

Guangyuan has become a benchmark city for aluminum manufacturing, with an electrolytic aluminum production capacity of 615,000 tons, a secondary aluminum production capacity of 1.6 million tons, and an aluminum processing capacity of 1.8 million tons.

After 32 years of effort, Guangyuan has established a green aluminum industrial chain, which involves making aluminum through hydro-powered smelters, aluminum deep processing, and aluminum recycling.

The train is jointly operated by Shenzhen Sinocean Logistics Co and the Western China (Guangyuan) Aluminum Ingot Trading Center, and aims to meet raw aluminum resources' needs, and reduce transfer times and logistics costs for Guangyuan enterprises.