In 2019, some 3.1 trillion tonne kilometers of cargo were transported on railways in Europe. That year, Europe accounted for roughly one-third of global rail freight traffic.
High-speed rail expansion in the Baltics
The 870-kilometer-long high-speed Rail Baltica project will comprise one of the most important stretches of high-speed rail in Europe, with over 94 kilometers located in Latvia: the geographically strategic hub for European and Eurasian railroad traffic. Intended for both freight and passenger rail operations, investments for the project’s commission amount to roughly 5.8 billion euros in total. Rail Baltica has been actively pushed forward instead of delayed during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, with the belief that the project will help promote economic development and recovery in the region amid the global pandemic.
The New Silk Road: from China to Europe
Also named the Belt and Road initiative, China’s New Silk Road concept proposes passage linking Asia, Africa, and Europe by rail, road, and sea. The objective of this project is to further boost trade between Europe and Asia – predominantly China. Several billion U.S. dollars’ worth of investment from China has already been pumped into countries along the New Silk Road, such as Russia, Pakistan, and Italy. Although the project has been met with skepticism, it is thought that the benefits of the New Silk Road will be numerous: lower transport costs, reduced transport durations, and new opportunities for developing markets along the route.
Rail freight traffic in Europe from 2012 to 2019 (in billion tonne kilometers)*
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Traffic in billion tonne kilometers
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UIC. (June 29, 2020). Rail freight traffic in Europe from 2012 to 2019 (in billion tonne kilometers)* [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105192/rail-freight-activity-in-europe/
UIC. "Rail freight traffic in Europe from 2012 to 2019 (in billion tonne kilometers)*." Chart. June 29, 2020. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105192/rail-freight-activity-in-europe/
UIC. (2020). Rail freight traffic in Europe from 2012 to 2019 (in billion tonne kilometers)*. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105192/rail-freight-activity-in-europe/
UIC. "Rail Freight Traffic in Europe from 2012 to 2019 (in Billion Tonne Kilometers)*." Statista, Statista Inc., 29 Jun 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105192/rail-freight-activity-in-europe/
UIC, Rail freight traffic in Europe from 2012 to 2019 (in billion tonne kilometers)* Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105192/rail-freight-activity-in-europe/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Rail freight traffic in Europe from 2012 to 2019 (in billion tonne kilometers)* [Graph], UIC, June 29, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105192/rail-freight-activity-in-europe/