Academic Scientific JournalsChina – European Union rail freight traffic: slow growth despite media spotlight
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26881/etil.2018.76.11Keywords:
China, European Union, Belt & Road initiative, Eurasian landbridge, infrastructure, railwayAbstract
The Chinese Silk Road concept is attracting more and more attention. It involves (geo)politics, economics, infrastructure and transport development. The idea of faster transport of goods overland via Central-Asia by rail between Europe and China has become very popular, but there has been little attention devoted to the fact that the possibility of direct European Union-China rail freight transport has already existed for decades. This article examines statistical data about the rail traffic between the European Union and China and seeks to provide an answer to the question, what can be the realistic future of this transport connection? Trade data suggests that despite the growth in rail freight transport, this mode will be marginal for the transport links between China and Europe
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