The first-ever freight rail route linking Vietnam and Kazakhstan was launched in December, according to the Railways of Transport and Trade JSC (Ratraco).

A train of 24 container carriages with Vietnamese electronic components departed from Hanoi and travelled through China before reaching Kazakhstan.

In the past, the majority of electronic components from Vietnam were shipped to Central Asian countries by sea. But arrivals were hard to ensure, with journeys typically taking about 50 days, according to Ratraco.

The new rail route cuts the trip in half and solves transportation problems between all ASEAN states and Central Asian countries.