Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe International Railway: problems and challenges of the first direct rail connection between China and Europe

Abstract

Through this master’s degree thesis, I will try to investigate the development, the characteristics and the weak points of the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe International Railway line (also known as Yuxinou). It was created in 2011 and it links the municipality of Chongqing to the city of Duisburg in Germany. The municipality as well as the Yuxinou railway line are increasingly important for the Chinese propaganda, which has identified Chongqing as an important economic hub for the whole nation and the Yuxinou railway as the forerunner of the rail trade’s development between China and Europe. But how much is this railway contributing to the development of Sino-European trade relations? Can rail transport really replace the maritime transport or at least be a viable alternative? The first chapter focuses on the birth and development of Chongqing since 1997, when it became a municipality, until today. Its role in the Western Development Strategy and in the Belt and Road Initiative will be analyzed. The second chapter gives an overview of the rail and maritime connections that China has developed with the European countries and it makes a description of the two types of transport, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages, critical points and strengths. Finally, the third chapter focuses on the Yuxinou railway, it describes the context in which the railway was born and the complexities and difficulties that still characterize it today.