How did Q1 2023 look for China-Europe rail freight?
INTERVIEWEurasian rail freight services between China and Europe have been under pressure for almost three years since the pandemic started in 2020, followed by the invasion of Ukraine last year and all the aftermaths it...Read more
Macron and Von der Leyen in China: EU de-risking, Ukraine and trade
ANALYSISThe much-discussed visit of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission head Ursula Von der Leyen in China is unfolding. By meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the two European leaders aim to push for...Read more
New cargo types on the Silk Road: how are companies adapting?
InterviewRail freight volumes on the New Silk Road significantly declined in 2022. However, volumes for specific cargo types, including chemicals and pharmaceuticals, have actually increased. How are companies adapting to these new trends? RailFreight.com had...Read more
Shenyang to become new rail hub for trade with Russia and Europe
The city of Shenyang, in northeastern China, has deployed its first freight train to Europe in the context of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP). The plan is to turn Shenyang into a new...Read more
China-Europe trains in 2022: east-west imbalance and drops in volume
It has become an indisputable fact that the freight volume of railway operations between China and Europe has plummeted in 2022, but how steep was the decline? A look at the recent data of UTLC...Read more
Record for Ukrainian Railways: 470 km of new railway in 2022
In 2022, Ukrainian Railways reconstructed and overhauled 470 kilometres of railway track, and electrified another 82 kilometres, a record for the Ukrainian infrastructure manager. Connections to neighbouring European countries played a key role in its...Read moreChina’s BRI takes over the world: is Europe ready to respond?
ANALYSISChina seems to be overtaking Europe in global infrastructure investments, with EU leaders alarmed about the possible consequences. How does China benefit from expanding the Silk Road to other continents, and what could be Europe’s...Read more
Middle Corridor unable to absorb northern volumes, opportunities still there
The Middle Corridor cannot meet all the volume and capacity demands resulting from the disruption of New Silk Road routes passing through Russia. “The corridor accounts for about 3-5 per cent of the total capacity...Read more
European railway pact signed in Paris: ‘we need massive investments’
Europe’s major railway players have called for massive investments in rail. On Monday, 33 players in the railway sector from 24 European countries signed pact to that end during the European Railway Summit in Paris...Read more
Russia-Ukraine crisis: is this the armageddon of Europe-China rail?
ANALYSISScenarios around the consequences of an armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine have come and gone lately. So far, Russia is not buckling under Western pressure while the US and EU are ready to impose...Read more
China-EU-US trade war worsens, is your export still allowed?
If you are active on the New Silk Road, you need to be aware of possible sanctions, as the list of sanctioned goods, persons and transactions is growing. Disagreements between China on the one hand,...Read more
Fun facts about E-commerce between China and Europe
While economic recession hits most sectors hard, cross-border e-commerce is experiencing drastic growth. Due to travel restrictions in various countries during the pandemic, the ‘home economy’ has emerged, and online shopping has become the first...Read more
Direct Hefei-Wilhelmshaven train completes its first Eurasian trip
The first train from Hefei, Anhui Province in China, arrived at Wilhelmshaven, the only deep-water port in Germany, on 13 July. The train carried 100 TEUs of goods, of which more than 60% were local...Read more
Soon to be spotted: Russian wagons on EU railways
The Russian manufacturer of freight cars, United Wagon, has obtained approval to operate two of its wagons on the European railway network. It concerns the Sggrs(s) 80’ six-axle and Sgmmns 40’ four-axle flat car. Approval...Read more
‘Hyperloop should not cannibalise traditional railways’
Hyperloop technology, which enables travel speeds of 1,200 km/h, holds massive potential for the railway industry. At the same time, there are areas of potential conflict between railways and hyperloop. In a recently published position...Read more
Hordes of reefer containers once again on the train to China
Since the 1st of April refrigerated transport to China has resumed. It was put on hold over concerns about the transmission of the coronavirus via containers. Chinese rail companies are now fully back on track...Read more
And up goes the container rate…again
The price of the China-Europe Express train has surged again. This is after a short, calm period in March, as a result of the Chinese Spring Festival. However, the Suez Canal blockade ushered in another...Read more
TENT-T network needs freight-only lines and ‘intermodal gauge’
Rail infrastructure needs to be adjusted to the needs of intermodal traffic, and the revision of the TEN-T regulation is the ideal moment for such a change. That is the core message of the UIRR...Read more
How Latvia segments the railway market for infrastructure charging
There are different ways in which countries determine segments on the rail market for infrastructure charging. In a webinar on 17 March, an online seminar on railway transportation market segmentation was held by LatRailNet, the...Read more