Why Rail to Europe
The Mode That Sits Between Sea and Air
For more than a decade, China-to-Europe shippers had only two real choices: pay air freight prices for 7-day delivery, or accept 35–45 day ocean transit for the lowest cost. The China-Europe Railway Express (CR Express) eliminated that binary. Today, more than 17,000 block trains per year connect 100+ Chinese cities with 200+ European destinations across 25 countries.
For our clients shipping electronics, machinery parts, automotive components, fashion stock and DTC e-commerce inventory, rail has become the default for replenishment runs that need to land in Europe within 3 weeks — without paying air rates that destroy unit margin.
- 16–22 day door-to-door2× faster than ocean on most lanes — and faster than slow-steaming sea services from East Coast China.
- 40–60% cheaper than airPer-kilo rates for general cargo land far below airfreight equivalents on the same lane.
- Schedule reliabilityBlock-train timetabling means scheduled departures — no waiting for vessel space or weather diversions.
- Lower CO₂ footprintRail produces roughly 1/8 the CO₂ per ton-km of airfreight — a real ESG win for brand-sensitive shippers.
