China Reports ‘Limited Impact’ on BRI Rail Trade with Europe

April 10, 2022 (EIRNS)—China’s Global Times on April 8 reported on a major build-up of China’s freight rail capacities, both internally and internationally. Somewhat surprisingly, given the anti-Russia actions and the fact that many China-Europe rail routes pass through Russia, they report:

“A number of freight trains will be added to the China-Europe freight service to facilitate transport capacity.

“The Chengdu railway bureau will add three China-Europe freight train lines from Xinglongchang Railway Station in Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, Guiyangnan Railway Station in Southwest China’s Guizhou Province and Chengdubei Railway Station in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, which connect the Alashankou Port in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

“The adjustment conforms to the rising demand of China’s foreign trade, the Global Times learned from the traders. In the first quarter, China-Europe freight trains made 3,630 trips and sent 350,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 7% and 9%, respectively, year-on-year.... Despite the escalating crisis in Europe and resurgence of the COVID-19 in March, the impact on the China-Europe freight train service is limited.”

A major expansion of rail capacities domestically went into place on April 8, primarily to handle increased demand for coal, the report said.