Małaszewicze volumes continue sharp downward trajectory 06/10/23
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Małaszewicze, the major European border crossing for Silk Road trains, has experienced a 24,3 per cent drop in Westbound volumes, reaching 57,180 TEU for H1 2023, according to the Polish Road Transport Institute. Eastbound volumes have shrunk even more significantly in the same period, dropping by 91 per cent compared to last year.
he 91 per cent drop in Eastbound Silk Road train volumes via Małaszewicze resulted in 824 TEU transported towards China for the first half of the year. Though the Eastbound drop came as sharp as it could be, it did not necessarily impact the overall trade volume via China Europe trains as much as the Westbound volume drop did. The Westbound volumes in the first half year experienced around 8,000 TEU drop compared to last year.
Shifting Silk Road focus
One explanation for the volume drop at Małaszewicze could be the changing strategy and emphasis of Silk Road trains. This year, there is a destination shift for Silk Road trains departing from China, mainly attributed to the war in Ukraine and related sanctions imposed on Russia. For example, China Railways are promoting trains that end up in cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia, as well as Astana and Atkau in Kazakhstan. For example, Chinese forwarders have shared with RailFreight.com that in their operations, 80 per cent of international freight trains leaving China are directed to Russia.
European Silk Road Summit
The discussion of Poland’s role and its relation with the Silk Road will be extended to the European Silk Road Summit 2023. The 7th edition of the European Silk Road Summit 2023 will be held on 29-30 November and 1 December 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. Are you interested in joining the discussion? Click here for more information.