Operations at Alashankou terminal halted due to extreme weather
Adverse weather conditions in Kazakhstan, especially in the east towards its borders with China are causing disruptions that are impacting rail freight. For this reason, “terminal operations at the Alashankou station have been suspended”, Kazakhstan...Read more
‘Trains along Silk Road halved in 2023’, says DB Cargo
Despite posting record figures in 2022, rail freight volumes along the New Silk Road for DB Cargo Eurasia decreased by around 50 per cent this year. According to Frank Erschkat, Senior Vice President of Intermodal...Read more
China-Azerbaijan trade soars, rail freight volumes follow
Rail freight volumes between China and Azerbaijan for the first 11 months of 2023 increased by 47 per cent compared to the same period last year. This rise can be linked to massive increases in...Read more
End titles: Italy walks out of BRI agreement with China
The Italian government has officially announced that it is leaving China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The agreement binding the two countries within BRI would end in March 2024. However, Italy informed the Chinese side...Read more
Rail freight in China-Russia Far East borders grows thanks to new bridge
Rail freight volumes moved between China and Russia through the Far East increased by 22 per cent in the first ten months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, as Russian Railways (RZD)...Read more
‘The Middle Corridor can fulfil different but equally valuable roles’
European Silk Road Summit 2023“Here is an idea. Why not make the Middle Corridor a humanitarian corridor to transport essential goods such as food, energy, health (medical, pharmaceuticals etc)? These goods are always and critically needed, and the Middle...Read more
Fesco to build a new terminal on Russia-China border
Russian logistics giant Fesco is planning to build a container terminal in Zabaykalsk, near the Russian borders with China and Mongolia. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev “instructed Russian Railways (RZD) to speed up the...Read more
Products from Thailand are soon to be on their way to Europe via rail
The first official rail freight service between China and Thailand is a fact. The inaugural train departed on 17 November from Chengdu, and by now, it should already have reached its destination in Map Ta...Read more
China-Russia electric car transport volumes increasingly turn to rail
This year seems to be the year of rail for electric vehicle (EV) transport between China and Russia. The Russian Federal Customs Office revealed that Russian electric vehicle imports increased by 250 per cent in...Read more
Vietnam and Russia want to bring rail freight volumes back to pre-2022
Delegates from Russia, China, and Vietnam met to discuss the development of rail freight connectivity between them. Since 2022, in fact, containers moved by rail on the Hanoi-Moscow axis have been dropping significantly.Read more
KTZ is building a new line to China to bypass congested Almaty
Construction of a new railway line in the Almaty area, in the southeast of Kazakhstan near the Chinese border. According to Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ), this line will create a bypass avoiding the Almaty station, currently...Read more
Construction of joint Kazakh-Chinese terminal starts in Almaty
A new rail logistics terminal in Kazakhstan’s Almaty has entered the construction phase. The project is developed by KTZ together with China’s Xi’an Dry Port. The purpose is to create a terminal that will function...Read more
China-Russia bridge now open for Russian container trains
The Nizhneleninskoye-Tongjiang railway bridge, connecting China and Russia in the Far East, is now open to container trains coming from Russia. On the Russian side, the bridge had so far been used for transporting bulk...Read more
China’s BRI plans signal a renewed opportunity for the Silk Road
ANALYSISThe Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held last week in Beijing, functioned as a platform for China to communicate its BRI and Silk Road aspirations. Multiple mentions of railway development and the...Read more
Russia-China rail freight volumes keep skyrocketing
Rail freight volumes between China and Russia are continuing to increase. Over the first nine months of 2023, more than 128 million tons were transported via rail between the two countries. This signals a 51.5...Read more
A closer look into the EU inquiry on Chinese BEV subsidies
ANALYSISThe European Commission has launched an investigation into the import subsidies that the Chinese government applies to battery electric vehicles (BEV). Subsidisation across the whole BEV value chain in China, including transport, could distort competition...Read more
China turns to the Middle Corridor and prepares for investments
It has been almost two years since the Middle Corridor came under the spotlight after the war in Ukraine began. The corridor was forced to grow fast amid multiple challenges to accommodate parts of rail...Read more
Metal theft causes train delays and increased costs for DB
Metal thefts increasingly disrupt Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) freight transportation operations. Thieves are especially interested in removing copper cables, thus causing substantial damage to German railway infrastructure. The damage, in turn, results in significant delays for...Read more
Controversy grows over China’s BRI investment in Pakistan
China has allegedly rejected a Belt and Road investment plan proposed by Pakistan. The proposal targeted adding more components to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. The Pakistani Ministry of Planning Development & Special Activities...Read more