6,000 miles through 7 countries. Why companies are turning to long-haul trains

When the freight train pulled into view, it looked like many others at this rail hub in suburban Paris. But one thing made the train unusual: its journey started more than 6,000 miles away, in western China.

The train was carrying more than three dozen 40-foot containers, each stuffed with goods such as party balloons and car parts, from Xi'an to Paris. It had traveled through China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany and France, making the journey in five and a half weeks.

Once unusual, long-haul train freight shipments between China and Europe have become much more common during the pandemic as companies that need to move goods between the huge economies look for alternatives to snarled and expensive air and sea routes.