Railway Freight

—Speed: Faster than a ship

The rail journey from China to Europe, from terminal to terminal, and depending on the route, takes between 20 and 30 days. It’s roughly 10 days less than moving by ship. With these shorter transit times, businesses can react more quickly to changing market demands. In addition, shorter transit times lead to more rotations and thus less stock in the supply chain. In other words, businesses can free up working capital and lower their capital cost.

—Cost: Less costly than a plane

Sea freight is currently the preferred method of shipment to and from China. However, transit times are long. Thus, when speed is important, air freight comes into play, even though the costs are much higher. Depending on the departure point, destination and volume, transporting a container from door to door by rail freight is close to the cost of sea freight and a quarter the cost of sending goods by air.


—Sustainability: More environmentally-friendly than air freight

Sea freight remains the most environmentally-friendly mode of transport. However, CO2 emissions for rail freight are significantly lower than for air freight, an argument which is becoming increasingly important.