The railway port in Shapingba district of Chongqing municipality is now operational, Chongqing Daily reported on Thursday.

It joins Cuntan Port Area for water transportation and Jiangbei International Airport to become the third national level port in Chongqing.

It also is the third inland railway port in the country, the other two being in central and northeastern areas.

The port is planned to have a 500,000-square-meter work zone by 2020.

With the port's opening and the 11,179-kilometer Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe rail route connecting Chongqing with Europe, the city is becoming known as a transportation hub for the southwest region.

jijin@chinadaily.com.cn