(ECNS) — A regularly scheduled freight train service between Chengdu in southwestern China's Sichuan province and Lhasa in the Xizang Autonomous Region began running Sunday, with the first train carrying more than 500 metric tons of cargo.

The inaugural train had 25 railcars. Its cargo spanned more than 10 categories, including timber, grain, chemicals and metal products.

The train runs along several major railway lines, including the Baoji-Chengdu, Lanzhou-Chongqing and Qinghai-Tibet railways, and the trip takes about 68 hours.

With the service added to the fourth-quarter railway timetable, Sichuan and Xizang now have fixed freight train schedules, making deliveries of supplies to Xizang more reliable.