Comparative analysis of freight transport on the middle and southern corridor rail routes in the belt and road initiative

More than half of global trade takes place on the maritime Silk Road between China and Europe. In the light of the emergence of the Belt and Road Initiative and the developments in the world afterwards, while the hegemony of the sea route causes controversy; the importance of intermodal transport is once again understood. Focusing on increasing the use of railway transportation with the climate crisis in the world, the European Commission declared 2021 as the Year of the Railway. Many research is being carried out to draw attention to freight transport by rail between China and the European Union. In addition, the researches emphasize the need for alternative routes and transportation routes. In this context, this thesis aims to show that the railway corridors in the Belt and Road Initiative can be reasonable for preference in trade between the European Union and China. Instead of the hegemony in the use of maritime transport, there can be more effective deliveries with intermodal transportation, which also includes the railway. It is presented as the main hypothesis that the transportation by rail will increase over the years in international trade and that the developing technology will bring a new perspective to rail transportation and that the Middle and Southern Corridor, which is within the scope of the Belt Road Initiative, can be preferred in trade between the European Union and China. Rail freight transport through economic corridors has a significant impact on the development of trade between countries between the European Union and China. The descriptive research method was used as the data collected in the study for the thesis and the political, economic, technological and international developments were dealt with in a structural way. While conducting the descriptive research, secondary data and quantitative data are used, and a comparison is made within the scope of the Middle and Southern Corridor, since international relations, geographical security factors, and developments in the international arena are also taken into account. Keywords: China, European Union, The Belt and Road Initiative, Rail Freight Transport