85% of container ships that would’ve transited the Red Sea are now going around the southern tip of Africa as of this morning.
The ships diverting from their… | 42 comments on LinkedIn
Also, can’t help but see the BRI guys feeling a little extra smug about their plane for overland transport through the Middle East.
I had actually forgotten that China’s belt and road initiative involved electrified freight train routes from China up through Russia or the middle east into Europe proper. Iirc there is also work to build routes from China deep into Africa to allow reliable trade of resources and goods without ocean going freight.
Years ago I was honestly surprised to learn that there wasn’t already a reliable freight train network connecting all of continental Asia, Africa, and Europe. That everyone was sending freight longer distances via ocean going freight traveling around continents rather than via rail in straight lines over land seemed so wasteful. Ocean going freight should only be necessary for oversized freight, island nations, or freight between the eastern and western global hemispheres.
Yeah. I remember something about everyone intentionally using incompatible rail gauges out of fear that other nations would use trains for military invasions. It’s only been in recent decades where we have started to see a globally adopted standard rail gauge for freight networks.
I had actually forgotten that China’s belt and road initiative involved electrified freight train routes from China up through Russia or the middle east into Europe proper. Iirc there is also work to build routes from China deep into Africa to allow reliable trade of resources and goods without ocean going freight.
Years ago I was honestly surprised to learn that there wasn’t already a reliable freight train network connecting all of continental Asia, Africa, and Europe. That everyone was sending freight longer distances via ocean going freight traveling around continents rather than via rail in straight lines over land seemed so wasteful. Ocean going freight should only be necessary for oversized freight, island nations, or freight between the eastern and western global hemispheres.
Intuitively, boats are more scalable than trains so to some degree it makes sense. Today, ocean shipping is cheaper than over land.
China’s feeling extra smug because their state-owned shipping can still transit the Red Sea lol
There was probably too much conflict and war in Europe in the past for countries to build international networks like that
Yeah. I remember something about everyone intentionally using incompatible rail gauges out of fear that other nations would use trains for military invasions. It’s only been in recent decades where we have started to see a globally adopted standard rail gauge for freight networks.
China went from virtually no rail freight to Europe to a million TEU last year