
International trade with China constitutes a significant part of the global market, and choosing the right means of transport is one of the most important factors in terms of supply chain efficiency. In recent years, rail transport has gained popularity as an optimal solution between costs and delivery time. Find out why it is worth choosing rail for transporting goods from China and what benefits the possibility of using rail freight forwarding in the China-Europe route brings.
Rail freight transport from China is a solution that combines speed of delivery, competitive costs and care for the environment. For companies importing goods from Asian countries, it is an increasingly attractive alternative to sea and air transport. The increasing availability of connections and the development of rail infrastructure make rail the future of international freight transport.
Rail Freight from China - Speed of Delivery
One of the biggest advantages of rail transport is its delivery time. Trains from China to Europe take an average of 12 to 18 days to arrive, making rail a faster alternative to sea transport, which typically takes 30 to 40 days. This allows companies to reduce waiting times for deliveries and replenish inventories quickly.
It is worth emphasizing that the global door-to-door delivery time for goods transported by express freight trains is from 22 to 29 days. In this way, the cargo from the moment of shipment from the Chinese seller/manufacturer is delivered to the Polish or European recipient in less than a month. The situation is different in the case of sea transport, where container rolling is commonly used. In addition, the sea routes connecting Europe with Asia have recently been among the most dangerous - especially in the Red Sea, where ships, including container ships, are exposed to attacks by Houthi rebels. As a result, transport by container ships takes place along the old route along the African coast, bypassing the Suez Canal, which extends the journey by another 2-3 weeks.
Importantly, the risk of delays in rail transport from China to Poland is low. This is due to the fact that rail transport is less susceptible to weather-related delays, which can be a big problem in the case of sea or air transport. In addition, rail routes between China and Europe have been significantly expanded and modernized in recent years, which increases the reliability of deliveries.
Rail transport from China - optimizing transportation costs
Rail transport is more cost-effective than air transport, which, although it provides the fastest delivery time, is associated with high costs. Rail is therefore an excellent solution for companies that want to optimize their logistics budget without giving up short transport times.
It is worth emphasizing that express freight train transport on the New Silk Road guarantees a competitive price in relation to sea freight transport. It is true - it is usually 10-40% more expensive, but at the same time it ensures much faster cash turnover and no need to freeze it for even 3 months.
Remember that the prices of transport by any means of transport are subject to constant fluctuations. Therefore, always check the current prices before organizing the import. It may turn out that at a given moment it is much more profitable to choose rail than sea freight. What is more, groupage transport by rail is available at very competitive prices. Often on the China-Poland route it is more profitable to send a groupage shipment by rail than by container ship, not to mention air transport.
Rail freight - a way for ecological and sustainable transport
Compared to other means of transport, rail generates significantly lower CO₂ emissions. This is a particularly attractive solution for companies that focus on sustainable development and want to strengthen their brand image as ecologically responsible.
It is worth emphasizing that in this way, the carbon footprint generated by the company's activities can be effectively reduced. This is important because we are on the threshold of the need to implement solutions that will reduce the negative impact of humans on the natural environment and thus reduce the impact of the Anthropocene on the climate of our planet.