Poland Reopens Belarus Border, Restoring Key China-Europe Rail Route
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About 90% of China-Europe freight trains pass through the Polish town of Małaszewicze from Brest, Belarus
Poland will reopen its border crossings with Belarus, restoring a vital trade link for the China-Europe Railway Express just over 10 days after shutting it down over security concerns. The move is expected to alleviate logistical bottlenecks that have snarled a key trade route between China and the European Union.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Tuesday that the border would reopen at midnight between Sept. 24 and 25, lifting restrictions imposed in response to joint Russian-Belarusian military drills.
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- Poland will reopen its Belarus border on Sept. 24-25, restoring a crucial route for China-Europe rail freight after a shutdown due to security concerns.
- The closure affected up to 150 trains, but EU-bound traffic is only about 15% of the railway’s total business; the route normally handles 15–20 trains daily.
- China-Europe Railway Express ran 12,804 trains in Jan-Aug 2025 (down 1.9% y/y), with August marking a 6.7% monthly increase.
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Who’s Who
- Eurasia Railway International Freight Forwarding (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
- Eurasia Railway International Freight Forwarding (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (中欧国际货运代理（上海）有限公司) is a company whose general manager, Yang Jie, commented on the impact of the Polish border closure. According to Yang Jie, EU-bound traffic constitutes only about 15% of the railway's total business, and no more than 150 trains were likely affected by the shutdown.
- China Railway United International Container Co. Ltd.
- In April, an employee from China Railway United International Container Co. Ltd. stated that the company is exploring new routes to Europe that bypass Russia. These alternative routes include the southern corridor through the Caspian Sea, indicating an effort to diversify and secure logistics amid geopolitical challenges.
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What Happened When
- April 2025：
- An employee at China Railway United International Container Co. Ltd. told Caixin that the service is exploring new routes to Europe that bypass Russia.
- In the first eight months of 2025：
- China-Europe Railway Express ran 12,804 trains, a 1.9% year-on-year decrease.
- August 2025：
- First month of positive growth for China-Europe Railway Express in 2025, with train numbers rising 6.7%.
- September 19, 2025：
- Yang Jie (Eurasia Railway International Freight Forwarding) told Caixin that EU-bound traffic accounts for about 15% of the railway’s total business and estimated that no more than 150 trains were likely affected by the shutdown.
- Tuesday, September 23, 2025：
- Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland would reopen its border crossings with Belarus at midnight between Sept. 24, 2025 and Sept. 25, 2025.
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