{"id":390139,"date":"2026-03-20T19:38:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T09:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=70147"},"modified":"2026-03-20T19:38:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T09:38:40","slug":"china-europe-rail-freight-surges-by-25-in-january-and-february-even-before-iran-war-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=390139","title":{"rendered":"China-Europe rail freight surges by 25% in January and February, even before Iran war"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Eurasian land bridge from China to Europe is off to a great start of 2026. The number of freight trains on the route grew by 31.7%. In terms of volume measured in TEU, there was a 25% year-on-year surge. China Railway has optimised scheduling to meet market demand, the company explains.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Trains moved a total of 352,100 TEU on the China-Europe route in January and February. This is 25.2% higher than during the same period of 2025. The 3,501 train trips amounted to a 31.7% increase year-on-year.<\/p>\n

Growth on the China-Europe route stands in relatively stark contrast to the developments seen in 2025. During that year, the total number of train trips grew by only 3.2% to approximately 20,000. At the same time, the volume transported fell by 1.3% to 2.1 million TEU. China saw fewer outbound trips (9,898 trips, -6.1%) and more inbound operations (10,100, +14.4%).<\/p>\n

Chinese railway authorities have strengthened coordination and operations on the China-Europe route since the start of 2026, according to the state rail operator China Railway. Moreover, the company optimised scheduling to align with market demand. In addition, China has sought to optimise the digital port system to make customs clearance more efficient.<\/p>\n

Impact of the Iran war<\/h2>\n

It is important to note that the China-Europe rail freight volume in January and February 2025 fell by 11% year-on-year. The current early-year increase is therefore a partial rebound of last year\u2019s losses.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, it is useful to bear in mind that the data from January and February 2026 are from before the start of the Iran war. The ongoing hostilities in the Middle East have caused fuel prices to surge, which could push maritime rates up. Simultaneously, the conflict is exerting pressure on air freight operations.<\/p>\n

This could bode well for China-Europe rail freight, which could bypass high-risk areas and is less sensitive to changes in energy prices. In other words, the early-year growth could continue in the coming months.<\/p>\n