Train of Thought

An independent research project studying railways and supply chains in complex corners of the world.

Train of Thought is a research partner for The International Railway Journal (IRJ).

This site showcases our research. We share our analysis, expertise and custom datasets that present the geopolitics of complex freight transport developments and supply chain issues in an accessible and actionable way, for fellow researchers and decision-makers across government and industry.

Our research contributes to supporting the UN’s SDG goals (7, 9, 12 and 13) in developing economies in ensuring inclusive, accessible and sustainable transport infrastructure.

Our research has been published in the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the BBC, the International Railway Journal (IRJ), and The Diplomat.

In the Media

Meet the Team

  • Sophia Nina B-A

    FOUNDER & EDITOR

    Sophia is a multilingual consultant currently serving as a geopolitical risk advisor to the US and European infrastructure sector. She specialises in bridging the gap between geopolitical advisory, supply chain risk, and business strategy, and has served in both consulting and in-house roles.

    Outside of this, Sophia works as a features journalist for the Diplomat and the International Railway Journal, and has published over 36 articles analysing Russian, Chinese and Western transport projects in Central Asia and the Middle East.

    And, because one project is never enough, Sophia also founded Train of Thought in 2024, born out of her personal mission to analyse all the freight railway projects in Central Asia, India and the Middle East. Her project has been featured in the BBC and published in the Royal United Services Institute think tank. She has extensive international experience, having lived and worked for over a decade in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

  • Mads Schmidt

    SECURITY EXPERT

    Mads Schmidt is a security and risk-management practitioner with experience in fragile and high-risk environments.

    His background includes operational roles with Danish and Norwegian diplomatic missions in Afghanistan and subsequent work in security consulting for international clients.

    He currently serves as Physical Security Lead at Novo Nordisk in Denmark, where he is responsible for national security governance, incident preparedness, and the development of standardised security frameworks across multiple sites.

    Mads professional interests include critical-infrastructure protection, resilience, and the interaction between security conditions and business objectives.

  • Charles McCloy

    COLD LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN EXPERT

    Charles is a Russian & Arabic speaker with specialism in cold logistics and food business across international markets.

    He currently works as an asset manager at Google, heading up their emerging markets division. He previously worked as a director at CBRE for over 6 years, where he provided strategic real estate advice to clients across the globe in the cold logistics and food sectors.

    He has a particular professional interest in the economic potential of Central Asia and advises clients on how to navigate the region.

    Charles is experienced in consulting on the valuation, financing, development, and M&A of food facilities on behalf of leading investors, operators, and lenders in the sector, having provided over €7 bn in advice.

Our research

  • Published in the IRJ: Delivering Railway Projects in High Risk Markets, Syria and Libya

    24/05/2026

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    In my latest article for the International Railway Journal, I consider how investors can manage the risks facing railway projects where the local political climate is unstable. Syria and Libya are prime current examples.

    Read Here

  • Summary of progress and status of Iran’s Freight Railway projects

    28/01/2026

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    I have created a table summarising all the ongoing and planned major railway connections in Iran. I have detailed the status in the table also. Just a way for me to stay on top of projects and analyse developments! Definitely a trickier research task, but interesting nevertheless.

    Read Here

  • Published in the IRJ: A deep dive into the current and future state of the Iranian railway network

    27/01/2026

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    While I have more questions than answers at this point, I have done my best to summarise my months of research into a two-page column for the International Railway Journal’s January 2026 magazine. As always, I enjoyed the process despite its pains, and I look forward to keeping an eye on how things develop.

    Read Here

  • The Cold Chain in Uzbekistan

    19/01/2026

    By Charles McCloy

    In the second article of our series about food security in Central Asia, we will take a closer look at the cold storage sector in Uzbekistan. The question is no longer whether geopolitics will affect supply chains, but whether value chains are built to endure it.

    Read Here

  • Feeding a Growing Population: Logistics Challenges Facing Food Security in Central Asia

    25/11/2025

    By Charles McCloy

    With the recently signed ‘Central Asia Food Security Plan through 2030’ by the Central Asian agriculture ministers on 11 November in Uzbekistan, Charles has crunched the data and has put together his first in a series of articles exploring the cold supply chain in Central Asia, and how it affects food security in the region.

    Read Here

  • The Khaf-Herat Railway: Security Threat Assessment Map

    21/11/2025

    By Mads Schmidt

    A high-level overview of the security risks along the semi-built Khaf-Herat railway route. We have provided a snap summary of the security context of Herat province in Afghanistan currently. Despite the Taliban being in control, Herat is the third largest province in Afghanistan and holds strategic significance to both Afghanistan as well as its neighbour Iran. This also exposes it to potential threats, as illustrated in the map.

    Read Here

  • Updated Table on Central Asia Railway Projects - Current and Future

    17/11/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    I have just updated and simplified the previous table I published here on Central Asia railway projects. I felt a refresh was necessary! Hope this is clearer and easier to follow.

    Read here

  • Russia begins first diesel export to Afghanistan via Iran railway

    06/11/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    Yesterday, Russia reportedly started exporting 5000 tonnes of diesel fuel by railway for the first time to Afghanistan via Iran. The diesel fuel will be shipped from Russia to the Iranian Caspian seaport of Amirabad, from there the fuel is carried by rail to Mashhad then to Afghanistan via the semi-finished Khaf-Herat railway.

    Read here

  • Railway Network of Kazakhstan and Freight border crossings

    17/10/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    In my latest research, I carried out an extensive examination of Kazakhstan’s railway lines and border crossings for freight movement.

    Read here

  • Overview of Tajikistan’s Railway Network

    29/10/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    I dive into the Tajik railway network and share my notes on the background of key rail projects.

    Read here

  • Railways of Central Asia - present and future

    29/09/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    A detailed summary of all railway projects-present and planned- going on in Central Asia, as well as the broader transport corridor projects they form a part of.

    Read here

  • The Trans-Afghan Railway: Updates So Far

    29/09/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    In my recent article for RUSI I highlight the ambiguous role of Russian Railways in the Trans-Afghan railway project feasibility studies

    Read here

  • The Khaf-Herat Railway: Summary Of Latest Developments

    22/09/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    Construction begins on the final section, Iranian delegation inspects progress, and further joint iron ore mining activities discussed.

    Read here

  • The Khaf-Herat Railway: possible iron ore-for-railway deal and new border crossing

    30/08/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    A closer look at the new Shamtig railway border crossing between Iran and Afghanistan, built for the Khaf-Herat railway project; and a possible iron ore in exchange for railway deal between Afghanistan and Iran.

    Read here

  • The Khaf-Herat Railway Route

    08/08/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    Route map and breakdown of construction of the Khaf-Herat Railway project between Iran and Afghanistan

    Read here

  • The Trans-Afghan Railway: Security Threat Assessment Map

    08/08/2025

    By Mads Schmidt

    Security threat assessment map of the Trans-Afghan Railway

    Read here

  • The Trans-Afghan Railway Route

    31/07/2025

    By Sophia Nina B-A

    A detailed background and assessment of the Trans-Afghan railway project.

    Read here

Our vision and why it matters

  • Our Vision

    By leveraging visual analytics, risk strategies, and data-driven insights, we aim to provide a transparent and detailed assessment of railways and rail-related issues linking to global supply chains in the Middle East, Former Soviet Union and South Asia.

    These countries have become important transit hubs in broader international efforts to develop new global supply chains. In particular, rail transport has taken on strategic importance for several reasons.

    These include sanction challenges facing seabourne trade, the need for economic diversification, the transition to low-carbon transport and delivering on the goals of the Paris Agreement enforced in November 2016, aligning infrastructure with demand, as well as defence and national security considerations.

  • Our research focuses on two key aspects

    1. Mapping Freight Railway Routes: Creating original maps that illustrate the accessibility of existing and planned freight transport connections, showcasing distances to the nearest border and seaport, and highlighting vulnerabilities.

    2. Risk Assessment: We look at the big picture. Our research examines how broader railway-related issues affect transport projects. This includes political risks, financial risks, economic risks, logistical problems, and vulnerabilities in the global supply chain.

  • Why It Matters

    Traditional transit and domestic freight railway analysis in high risk and complex jurisdictions often relies on limited data and generalised assumptions.

    Our approach offers a new systems thinking perspective by conducting detailed risk assessments of the country’s existing railway network and plans, and analysing their unique logistical needs.

    This enables the identification of strategic improvements, from traction speed, the need for an increase in wagon capacity, storage and logistics, to understanding the risks of their operating and market environment. We also identify railway-related challenges in the context of the wider global supply chain.

  • Our research contributes to supporting the UN’s SDG goals in developing economies

    SDG 7: Access to affordable and clean energy

    SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure - Focuses on building resilient infrastructure, a key pillar of sustainable logistics networks.

    SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production - Stresses the need for efficient, sustainable supply chain practices.

    SDG 13: Climate Action - Calls for urgent measures to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which involve the transportation sector.

From August 2024 to January 2025, Sophia carried out on on the ground research on freight transport across Central Asia and India