A freight train carrying auto parts, fabrics and other goods departed from a station in Dingxi City in northwest China's Gansu Province on Saturday, en route to Kostanay in Kazakhstan.

This is the first international freight train launched from the city. It will arrive in Kostanay in about nine days after covering a distance of 5,170 km in the entire journey.

The goods on the train, worth over 3 million U.S. dollars, were transported from areas such as Shaanxi and Zhejiang provinces. This freight train service is expected to reduce transport time by about six days compared to previous transportation routes.

Liu Jinwei, general manager of a local international logistics company, said the train will facilitate the export of local agricultural products to Central Asian countries in the future while bringing in flaxseeds, barley and other goods from Kazakhstan for primary processing or further processing.

Qian Jun, an official with the Department of Commerce of Gansu Province, said the train has opened up a new international logistics channel connecting Dingxi with Central Asia, which will help the city strengthen economic and trade exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road.