Ukraine Conflict Sidelines China-Europe Railway Express

Russia now dominates traffic on the rail line

The logo of China Railway Express, a unit of China's state-run China Railway Corporation, is pictured on the side of shipping containers at DB Cargo's London Eurohub rail freight depot in Barking, East London, on Jan. 18, 2017. Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images

A critical part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China-Europe Railway Express has expanded by more than 20 percent a year in recent years.

However, over the past year, the railway’s growth has slowed dramatically. Its business has declined with most European countries—with the exception of Russia, which now dominates Europe’s trade with China.