Rail freight
China–Europe rail freight, between sea and air
For cargo bound for Europe or the UK, rail usually arrives weeks ahead of an ocean shipment, at a fraction of the air freight rate. We take full containers and LCL, from your supplier to the delivery address.
When rail makes sense
Who should consider rail
Rail is offered on our Europe and UK lanes. It's worth pricing if:
- Ocean freight is too slow for your restock cycle, but you can't absorb air freight rates.
- You're shipping heavy goods like furniture parts, tools or machinery, where air freight gets expensive quickly.
- The goods are going to central Europe. Rail arrives at inland terminals, so there's no long truck run from a North Sea port.
- You have a few pallets, not a container. LCL rail lets you share container space, the same way LCL works at sea.
Rail usually isn't the right choice for small parcels (express is simpler) or for very large volumes with flexible deadlines (sea freight is cheaper).
Transit
Typical rail transit times
Typical figures that vary with routing, border crossings and terminal congestion.
China to Germany (Duisburg)
Typically 18–25 days station to station
The main China–Europe rail hub, with onward trucking across Germany and to neighboring countries.
Get a quote: China to Germany (Duisburg)China to the UK
Typically 25–35 days door to door
Rail to mainland Europe, then road to the UK via ferry or the Channel Tunnel, including UK customs clearance.
Get a quote: China to the UKFrance, the Netherlands and the rest of the EU
Quoted per address
Rail to a European hub, then truck delivery. Add a few days for the road leg, depending on the address.
Get a quote: France, the Netherlands and the rest of the EU
How it works
How a rail shipment moves
- 01
Quote and booking
Send the cargo type, weight, volume and destination. We check whether the goods can go by rail, then book FCL or LCL space.
- 02
Pickup and documents
We collect from your suppliers and prepare the export declaration and rail consignment documents.
- 03
Rail leg
The container travels by train from China to a European rail hub, such as Duisburg or a terminal in Poland. We update you at key milestones.
- 04
Customs clearance
Import clearance in the EU, or at the UK border for UK-bound cargo.
- 05
Final delivery
By truck to your warehouse or an Amazon fulfillment center. For the UK, that includes the Channel crossing.
Compare
Rail compared with sea and air
A general comparison. Actual transit and cost depend on your route and the time of year.
Sea freight
- Speed to Germany
- About 4–7 weeks port to port
- Cost
- Lowest
- Heavy cargo
- Good
- Load types
- FCL and LCL
- Lanes we offer
- USA, UK, Canada, Europe
Rail freight
- Speed to Germany
- Typically 18–25 days station to station
- Cost
- Between sea and air
- Heavy cargo
- Good
- Load types
- FCL and LCL
- Lanes we offer
- Europe, and UK via Europe
Air freight
- Speed to Germany
- 1–10+ days after departure
- Cost
- Highest
- Heavy cargo
- Expensive
- Load types
- Loose cartons and pallets
- Lanes we offer
- USA, UK, Canada, Europe
Transit times are estimates. Sea times are port to port unless stated. Air is counted from departure and express from pickup. Actual times vary by route, season, carrier space and customs.
FAQ
Rail freight FAQs
Question not answered here?
Message our shipping team directly, in English or Chinese.
Ask on WhatsAppWhere do the trains actually go?
Trains leave Chinese rail terminals such as Xi'an, Chongqing, Chengdu and Yiwu, usually enter the EU at the Poland–Belarus border (Małaszewicze), and run to hubs such as Duisburg and Hamburg. From there, cargo goes by truck to France, the Netherlands, the UK and the rest of Europe. Ask us about your delivery address.
Do you take LCL rail cargo, or full containers only?
Both. Full containers suit larger orders, and LCL lets you ship a few pallets or cartons in shared container space.
Can anything ship by rail?
No. Rail routes cross several countries, and operators restrict certain goods. Batteries, liquids, some electronics, dual-use items and goods under sanctions in transit countries may be refused or need extra paperwork. Describe your product when you ask for a quote and we'll check.
Is rail good for Amazon FBA in Europe?
It can be, especially for stock headed to Amazon fulfillment centers in Germany or elsewhere in central Europe. FBA box labels are applied in China, and we deliver to the fulfillment center after customs clearance. See Amazon FBA shipping.
Can rail be booked DDP?
For most products, yes. On DDP, your price includes the product's duty and the destination country's import VAT. If a product can't go DDP by rail, we'll tell you when we quote.
Related pages
- Europe
Ship from China to Germany, France, the Netherlands and across the EU by rail, sea, air or express. EORI, import VAT and Amazon EU planned. Get a quote.
- United Kingdom
Ship from China to the UK by sea, air, rail or express. DDP with import VAT and customs duty shown, delivered to your door or Amazon UK. Request a quote.
- Sea freight
FCL and LCL sea freight from Shenzhen, Ningbo and Shanghai to the USA, UK, Canada and Europe. Port to port, door to door or DDP to Amazon FBA. Get a quote.
- Air freight
Urgent, Standard and Economy air freight from China to the USA, UK, Canada and Europe. Airport or door delivery, DDP available. Send cargo details for a quote.
- Sea vs Air vs Rail vs Express from China
Compare sea, air, rail and express from China: port-to-port estimates by lane, how chargeable weight works, FCL vs LCL, and when to split a shipment.
Price rail against sea and air
Send your cargo details and European destination. We'll quote rail next to sea and air so you can compare cost and timing.
Free quotes. We typically reply within one business day by email, WhatsApp or live chat.