News

The New Silk Road and Małaszewicze: Current Developments and Consequences for Logistics

Current Situation

The Małaszewicze-Brest (PL-BY) railway crossing has been temporarily closed due to the Zapad-2025 military exercises. This is a critical transit point, through which up to 90% of trains from China to the EU pass. The suspension of traffic means delays and additional costs for companies relying on just-in-time rail transport. Why is this important?

In 2024, approximately 19,000 trains carrying over 2 million TEUs ran on the China-Europe route.

The value of goods transported reached $29.4 billion (+85% year-on-year).

Although rail only accounts for about 2% of EU-China trade volume, it is these deliveries – electronics and automotive parts – that are most time-sensitive.

️ What’s next for Małaszewicze?

A parallel project is underway to modernize the Transshipment Area, which aims to increase capacity from the current ~16 to 35 pairs of trains per day. This represents a huge opportunity for Poland as a European logistics hub. However, procedural delays (e.g., the ownership transformation of Cargotor) remain a problem.

What solutions are we considering?

✔️ Route diversification – alternative solutions based on more flexible road transport (also possible through other border crossings in the Baltic States) and the so-called Middle Corridor through Kazakhstan and the Caucasus.

✔️ Transport flexibility – if necessary, switching cargo to sea or air transport to meet delivery deadlines.

✔️ Multi-variant transport plans – protecting customers against the risk of congestion at a single border point.

✔️ Effective crisis communication – quickly informing customers about the duration of disruptions and available alternative options.

Conclusions

The situation on the New Silk Road demonstrates how dependent global logistics are on geopolitical turmoil. Thanks to its location and the Małaszewicze region, Poland remains the heart of European intermodal transport.