Railway freight lines connecting China with Europe via land ports in the northeastern region have moved 151,000 standard-sized shipping containers in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 6.9 percent — a record high — China Railway Harbin Group said on Monday.

The group recorded 1,443 inbound and outbound trips in the first quarter of this year — a year-on-year increase of 7.6 percent.

The trains pass through Manzhouli Port in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and through Suifenhe Port and Tongjiang Port in Heilongjiang province. The number of return freight trains through the same ports in the first quarter ranked first in China.

Since the beginning of the year, the routes have grown substantially. The monthly average volume through Tongjiang Port, for example, increased by 166.7 percent year-on-year.

There are currently 24 routes in use for China-Europe freight trains via the three ports, transporting daily necessities, general merchandise, mechanical equipment, metals, agricultural products and timber between more than 60 Chinese cities and European cities in 14 countries.

In the second quarter, renovation projects are expected to begin on rail segments from Suifenhe to the national border. The Binsui Railway and the Xilingkou to Boketu section of the Binzhou Railway will be upgraded.

The group said these projects aim to address issues such as steep gradients, tight curves and low train speeds on existing lines. The goal is to improve the efficiency of train movement.

These projects will be important in helping to guarantee the shipping performance of China-Europe freight trains, the group said.