Rail freight costs on Eurasian overland corridors continued to rise in December 2025. However, deep-sea-linked transport costs increased even faster. This narrowed the price gap between rail-based Silk Road routes and Suez Canal shipping. The data was released in the latest index report from Maxmodal.
The Maxmodal Silk Road Index (MSRI) has officially been launched as the world's first truly multimodal container index. It sets a new benchmark for measuring, comparing, and understanding freight performance across the Eurasian transport network. Unlike traditional indices focused only on ocean shipping, the MSRI integrates real costs from rail, road, sea, ferry, and terminal handling. This provides a comprehensive picture of multimodal freight.
Drivers behind the December 2025 increase include customs congestion on the Kazakhstan-China border, sanctions impacts on lines via Russia, and capacity limits on Caspian ferries. At the same time, Suez Canal shipments pushed up ocean freight rates faster than rail due to Red Sea security concerns and Cape of Good Hope rerouting. Experts foresee that, should the current geopolitical environment persist, rail transport's share of container traffic could rise by 2-3 percentage points through 2026.
Key Takeaways:
1. Rail freight costs on Eurasian overland corridors rose in December 2025.
2. Deep-sea-linked transport costs increased even faster.
3. The price gap narrowed between rail-based Silk Road routes and Suez Canal shipping.
4. The Maxmodal Silk Road Index (MSRI) has been launched as the world's first truly multimodal container index.
5. Rail's container traffic share could rise 2-3 percentage points through 2026.
