The Eurasian landbridge : implications of linking East Asia and Europe by rail

Since 2011 regular freight rail services have been established between the European Union and China. This article analyses the development of these links – the Eurasian Landbridge – and argues that its origins were market-driven in response to demands of lead firms in Eurasian value chains. The rail services are consistent with EU and Chinese hopes for improved connectivity, reflected in major foreign economic policy announcements by the Chinese President (The Belt and Road Initiative) and by the European Commission (Connecting Europe and Asia). The resulting connectivity is likely to survive any bilateral political debacles because the economic foundation is strong.