The China-Europe Railway Express, or China Railway Express (CRE), is key logistical cog in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. It provides an alternative to container shipping for transporting Chinese manufactured goods to Europe via Russia.

Container shipping rates for key global trade routes have soared this week, with U.S. and UK air strikes on Yemen stirring fears of a prolonged disruption to global trade in Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest routes.