New China-Europe Railway Express line faces challenges amid Russia-Ukraine war

A port in north China's Hebei Province dispatched the first freight train under the banner of “pendulum transportation”, on the China-Europe route to Russia on May 25, 2022. China Railway Express (CRE), is a key logistical cog in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. The railway network has served as a critical pipeline for Chinese exports to Europe in the past several years. But since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, uncertainty in Europe has forced customers to turn to sea freight, posing a challenge to the growing CRE railway.