A new scheduled freight train service linking Chengdu, Sichuan province, and Lhasa, capital of the Xizang autonomous region, began operating on Sunday, offering businesses a more reliable and predictable way to transport goods to the plateau region.

The first train departed from Chengdu North Railway Station at around 1:30 pm, carrying more than 500 metric tons of goods valued at over 15 million yuan ($2.25 million) in 25 freight cars, according to China Railway Chengdu Group.

Operating on a fixed timetable and route, the service takes approximately 68 hours to complete the journey, passing through several major railway lines, including the Baoji-Chengdu, Lanzhou-Chongqing and Qinghai-Xizang railways.

The inaugural train carried more than 10 categories of goods, including grain, timber, industrial machinery, electronic appliances, agricultural products, textiles and medicines.

The service is expected to provide greater certainty for logistics companies, particularly during winter, when severe weather can disrupt road transport to the plateau.

"Once the service begins regular operations, the time it takes to transport our goods to Xizang will be significantly reduced," said Dong Guoyong, general manager of Hongkunda Logistics.

"Rail transport offers large carrying capacity, punctuality and operational stability. We will no longer have to worry about being unable to ship goods during winter."

To prepare for the launch, railway authorities worked with logistics companies in Chengdu, Meishan and surrounding areas to assess freight demand and transportation requirements.

The Chengdu Railway Logistics Center has also introduced round-the-clock loading and unloading appointments, as well as arrangements for advance cargo collection and priority allocation of freight cars, to improve operational efficiency.

The new service comes as China marks the 20th anniversary of the full opening of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway.

The railway began operating along its entire route in July 2006, ending Xizang's history without rail access and establishing a major transport link between the plateau region and the rest of the country.

Before the railway opened, goods bound for Xizang relied heavily on road transport, which faced capacity constraints, higher costs and disruptions caused by the region's challenging terrain and harsh weather.

Annual rail freight volume into and out of Xizang surged from 360,000 tons in 2006 to 8.31 million tons in 2025, according to Lu Jianbin, an official with Xizang's development and reform commission.

"Compared with road transport, railway freight has cut costs by about 60 percent and improved efficiency by nearly three times," Lu said.

The railway has also helped bring daily necessities, vegetables, fruit and other consumer goods to the plateau while opening up wider markets for locally produced agricultural products and other specialties, he added.

The new Chengdu-Lhasa service is expected to further strengthen freight links between Sichuan and Xizang, complement road transport and give businesses more options for moving goods to the plateau.