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First direct freight train from China to London completes mammoth 18-day journey

The first freight train from China to London arrived in the capital yesterday following a 7,456 mile journey.

The train was filmed reaching Barking, East London after an 18 day trip from Yiwu in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang.

En route, the train passed through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France, before arriving in Britain via the Channel Tunnel.

World first: this was the first train to complete the journey nonstop (Getty Images)
World first: this was the first train to complete the journey nonstop (Getty Images)

The train carried 68 containers, which included household items, fabrics and suitcases.

It wasn’t strictly one train, however – differing rail gauge sizes meant the containers had to be switched between locomotives along the way.

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The journey makes London the 15th European city to have a direct rail link with China – part of its ‘One Belt, One Road’ project, launched in 2013.

The project’s aim is to revive the historic Silk Road trading route between China and the West.

Faster than sea travel and cheaper than air freight, this trip has been described as a milestone in China’s push to build commercial links across Asia and Europe.

Prime Minister Theresa May is also keen to strengthen trade links with China, describing the UK’s relationship with the country as “golden”.