China has launched its first train to Central Asia with the new route between Shanghai and Almaty in Kazakhstan.

According to Shanghai Customs, the China-Europe freight train loaded with over 980 tons of goods, departed from Shanghai on July 28.

"The departure marked the launch of the first China-Europe freight train from Shanghai to Central Asia," state media, Xinhua said in a report.

It added that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Shanghai temporarily halted its China-Europe freight train service, which resumed in May in the face of strong demand from foreign trade enterprises.

In the first half of this year, Shanghai handled 12 China-Europe freight trains, carrying 1,166 TEUs with a cargo weight of over 7,234 tons, worth 293 million yuan (around US$43.5 million).

Shanghai launched its first China-Europe freight train in September 2021.

Currently, the city has nine freight cargo routes, reaching 13 cities in five countries along the Belt and Road.

So far, Shanghai has handled 35 China-Europe cargo trains, loaded with 3,438 TEUs of goods with a total weight of 23,600 tons, worth 1.024 billion yuan.