The history of the Silk Road

As early as 200 BC, goods were transported from China to Europe along the Silk Road. However, the term "Silk Road" only became widely known in the 19th century, and it was only then that the route gained widespread recognition. Initially, goods were mostly transported by camel along this route, taking two years to reach Venice. This journey was also dangerous, as it involved crossing deserts and overcoming mountain ranges. The city of Xi'an marked the beginning of the main Silk Road route, which led via Anxi and Samarkand to Damascus and then on through Byzantium to Venice. Alexandria in Egypt and Machtura in India were also connected to the Silk Road via branch routes. From the 15th century onward, the sea route from Asia to Europe was added; the Hanseatic League guarded its ships at sea, ensuring safer arrival of goods in Europe, which contributed to the Hanseatic League's heyday. A cog ship at that time could carry approximately 90 tons, while a camel could only carry 250 kg. Even though a caravan could indeed consist of over 1,000 animals, it could not transport the same quantity that a convoy of several cogs could load and carry. Moreover, on the Silk Road, it could not be guaranteed that all the animals would survive the arduous overland journey.

Due to the larger quantities that could be transported and the absence of intermediaries on the water, the sea route became a competitor to the Silk Road, and trade via the arduous route through deserts and over mountains fell into disuse by the middle of the 16th century.

Revival of the Silk Road

Efforts to revive the Silk Road began in the mid-20th century, but these efforts truly gained momentum in 2013 with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Under the motto "One Belt, One Road," railway lines, roads, and paths have been repaired and newly constructed. Stakes in seaports and ships are also being acquired. This is because the concept of the new Silk Road no longer relies solely on land routes; the sea route will remain crucial for China's trade with the rest of the world. The land route of the Silk Road consists of two main routes, of which only the northern route currently extends to Europe. This northern route leads from Shanghai via Ulaanbaatar, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Moscow to Minsk, Hamburg, Duisburg, and finally to Rotterdam. Since 2019, trains have also been running directly from Bremerhaven to China. The southern route, still under construction, begins in Ningbo and continues from Xi'an, the original starting point of the Silk Road. The Chinese cities of Urumqi and Korgas are also connected to the southern route, which continues to Tehran and Istanbul, via Belgrade and Budapest to Paris, and finally to Marseille and Madrid. Branch lines supply the area between the northern and southern routes, and the port of Gwadar in Pakistan is also connected to the southern Silk Road route.

Regular connections via the Silk Road for 10 years

Since 2012, Germany, with its port in Duisburg, has also become part of the Silk Road, and the routes are continuously being expanded. For example, since 2019, cars have been regularly shipped by rail from Bremerhaven to China, and from January 2022 until the conflict in Ukraine, there was also a regularly operating freight train from Bremen to Chongqing in China. While there were between 40 and 80 journeys in the first few years, the number increased to almost 15,000 trains last year. However, due to the conflict in Eastern Europe, the previously continuous increase in train journeys between Europe and China has declined slightly.

While in ancient times goods like silk, tea, and spices were transported from China to Europe, today it is storage media, consumer electronics, and clothing that reach us from the Land of the Rising Sun. Conversely, we export finished motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts, along with chemical products, to China. Previously, it was raw materials such as wool that made the journey from Europe to China.

Comparison

The pandemic caused bottlenecks in many ports, and these delays persist to this day, only slowly diminishing. Rail transport via the new Silk Road has a clear advantage here, as trains don't require the cumbersome unloading process of container ships. The wagons can simply be uncoupled. This process also requires less personnel than unloading a ship. Furthermore, absences due to illness are easier to manage during shunting operations than in ports, as it's more difficult to find a replacement for a crane operator, for example, than for a railway worker. The issue of personnel itself is another factor where rail transport performs better. Freight transport requires two train drivers. This is different for shipping, where the lack of supermarkets at sea necessitates self-catering. Consequently, a captain and first officer are insufficient to safely navigate a ship from port to port. Even in the event of a breakdown, it's simply impossible to call a breakdown service on the water that will arrive within an hour. This then impacts the staffing requirements.

However, there are also traffic jams on the railways, as China and Europe have a different track gauge than Russia and Belarus. This leads to waiting times at border crossings when there is sufficient demand. However, there are already successful efforts underway to create more border crossings so that smooth logistics can take place here as well.

Conclusion

It is important to note that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a viable alternative to sea freight from Asia to Europe. Goods arrive via the BRI on average one to two weeks earlier than if transported by ship. Environmental protection and climate change must also be considered. A freight train from China has a significantly lower environmental impact than a container ship. While the CO₂ footprint per ton is not explicitly considered here, surprisingly, a container ship performs just as well as a freight train in this regard. However, when considering all parameters, such as fuel consumption and overall exhaust emissions including soot particles and other pollutants, the balance shifts in favor of the train.

It should be noted that the current situation in Ukraine is setting back the Belt and Road Initiative. Firstly, the Russian operator, Russian Railways (RZD), is subject to Western sanctions, and secondly, transport can no longer be routed through Ukraine because parts of the Ukrainian rail network have been destroyed. However, transit freight traffic remains permissible in principle, provided that no sanctioned entities are involved. Naturally, security concerns regarding transport through Russian territory are also relevant in this context. Goods intended for Europe via these routes could potentially be detained as leverage in the sanctioned countries. However, we have not observed any such occurrences since then.

New Silk Road with future prospects

The long-term consequences remain uncertain due to the situation in Ukraine and Russia's actions. However, maintaining economic exchange with China is and will remain of paramount importance. Therefore, once the sanctions are lifted and all damage repaired, the Belt and Road Initiative could, in principle, offer an environmentally friendly and rapid alternative to sea freight. Project visions of trains goods along this route at speeds exceeding 350 km/h reveal previously unimaginable possibilities that may lie ahead.

We are following this development with great interest and, in the meantime, are using our expertise and commitment to ensure continued smooth logistics for our customers; whether by rail, truck and sea transport.