ZHENGZHOU, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Central China's transport hub Zhengzhou on Friday added a Southeast Asian route to its China-Europe freight train service.

The first train on the route departed from Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province, on Friday morning. It will enter Vietnam via the border city of Pingxiang before arriving at the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.

The route operator Zhengzhou International Hub Development and Construction Co. said the train carried machinery and e-products to Vietnam and would bring back Vietnamese fruit, rice, dried fruit and aquatic products.

The company has yet to provide information on the frequency of the train.

Zhengzhou has seen the south-bound route as an important extension to its China-Europe rail service, which links 126 cities in Europe and Central Asia.

The China-Europe rail service is a significant part of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

The number of China-Europe freight trains reached a new high in 2017, surpassing the previous six years combined, with more than 3,000 freight trains traveling on 57 lines. The number of such trips is expected to reach 4,000 in 2018, according to the China Railway Corporation.