Flash Points: Why trains still matter

Plus: How India and China are fighting over Nepal’s railways [Foreign Policy Logo]( [Foreign Policy Flashpoints]( January 14, 2022 | [View in browser]( In much of the world, trains have been replaced by cars and aircraft. But trains—as national symbols, historic relics, and critical forms of transportation—still matter, especially as countries seek to reduce emissions and great powers such as China turn to railway development as a form of statecraft. In this collection of essays, join us on a ride into China’s faltering continent-spanning trains, inside the geopolitical fight over Nepal’s railways, and in a train car with migrant workers from Tajikistan to Russia.—Chloe Hadavas --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Midnight Train to Moscow]( Riding the rails to Russia with the migrant workers of Central Asia. By Joseph Schottenfeld --------------------------------------------------------------- [A Train to Nowhere]( Hovertrains were meant to revolutionize British transport. But they never arrived. By Kitty Wenham-Ross --------------------------------------------------------------- [China’s Continent-Spanning Trains Are Running Half-Empty]( Beijing is funding dozens of new rail routes as part of its global ambitions—and losing money on every one. So what’s the long game? By Andreea Brinza --------------------------------------------------------------- [Macron’s Been Working on the Railroad]( France’s train conductors are icons of the country’s 20th-century history. That’s exactly why the French president is targeting them. By Robert Zaretsky --------------------------------------------------------------- [China and India Are Fighting Over Nepal’s Railways]( The mountain state has just 18 miles of track. Beijing and New Delhi are keen to change that. By Arun Budhathoki Photo: Illustration by George Butler --------------------------------------------------------------- How are leading educators preparing the next generation of international affairs professionals to tackle the world’s toughest challenges? Read Foreign Policy's [Guide to Leaders in Graduate Education]( featuring innovative grad school deans, directors, and faculty members who are shaping tomorrow’s experts in security, diplomacy, global health, and global development. [Learn more](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Ends this week! Get FP’s expert analysis on the people and politics reshaping our world. [Subscribe now for 22% off](. FOLLOW FP ON This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you are subscribed to FP’s Flashpoints newsletter. Want a friend to receive this newsletter? [Forward it]( now. Want to receive other FP newsletters? [Manage]( your FP newsletter preferences. [unsubscribe]( | [privacy policy]( | [contact us]( | [advertise]( Foreign Policy magazine is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2022 The Slate Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006. [Link](