The China-Europe express freight train Shanghai departed from the city of Shanghai in East China for Rostov Oblast in Russia on May 30 – in its first outward-bound journey since the COVID-19 outbreak in the metropolis in early March.

The train carried 49 containers of cargo, weighing about 645 metric tons – including heaters, heat sinks, pressure controllers and other mechanical equipment.

According to rail officials, the full freight train service will return to normal operations as soon as possible.

Shanghai announced a 50-measure action plan on May 29 to fully assist domestic and foreign enterprises to recover from the challenges brought by COVID-19 over the past months and to reboot the city's economic vitality.

These measures represent the city's latest efforts to help enterprises through the unprecedented financial difficulties due to the outbreak and are expected to meet the needs of international logistics operations.