The Eurasian railway route is undergoing a fundamental transformation associated with the replacement of lost transit volumes with cargo moving via the China-EAEU-China route. The reorientation of Russia’s trade and economic relations towards the East provides opportunities for the development of the route in this direction.

Railroads play a crucial role in the Eurasian ITCs. Because of the speed and reliability of deliveries it provides, railway transportation is starting to compete with shipment by sea (advantage of speed) and air (advantage of cost). The competition with alternative routes has to be taken into account, whereas the strategy should be built around the available advantages of the existing routes and the complementary nature of others.