In the January-November period this year, freight shipments by Chinese national railway operator China Railway Corporation amounted to 3.115 billion mt, up 198 million mt or 6.8 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. In the 2018-19 period, China Railway Corporation is expected to achieve a total increase of 500 million mt in freight shipments, which will be 50.0 million mt higher than the original target set for the period.
In July 2018, China’s State Council issued a three-year action plan aimed at reducing atmospheric pollution, stating that China would optimize and adjust the structure of freight transportation and substantially increase the share of rail freight as railway transportation saves energy and is more environmentally friendly. Accordingly, freight shipments by railway in China are expected to total 4.79 billion mt in 2020, up 30 percent from 2017.