Rail from China
Container rail freight from China to Europe - faster than sea, far cheaper than air
Rail freight from China to Europe with k>outs
The China–Europe railway is the middle ground container shipping has been missing: markedly faster than ocean freight and a fraction of the cost of air freight. k>outs books your cargo onto scheduled block trains from the main Chinese rail hubs — Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Wuhan — to European rail terminals, and delivers the goods to the final address anywhere in Europe over our road network.
You get one contract and one contact partner for the whole chain: pickup at the factory in China, the rail main leg, customs clearance and the last kilometres by truck.
How your shipment travels
1. Pickup in China. Your supplier hands the cargo over, or we collect it and bring it to the departure terminal.
2. Rail main leg. The container travels on a scheduled China–Europe block train with weekly departures. Terminal-to-terminal transit is typically 15–20 days.
3. Customs clearance. Import formalities are handled at the European terminal — documents, duties and EORI checks included in the service.
4. Final delivery. From the terminal the goods continue by road to any postcode in Europe through the same k>outs network you already use for European groupage and LTL.
Why shippers choose rail from China
- Transit time: around 15–20 days terminal-to-terminal — roughly half the time of sea freight.
- Cost: typically 50–70% cheaper than air freight for the same cargo.
- Predictability: scheduled weekly departures with fixed timetables.
- FCL and LCL: book a full 40' container or just a few pallets in a consolidated box.
- Lower emissions: a fraction of the CO2 of air freight — a strong argument for your ESG reporting.
- One partner: pickup, rail, customs and European distribution under a single contract.
What can you ship by rail?
Palletised general cargo, machinery and spare parts, electronics, textiles, e-commerce stock, furniture and most industrial goods. Temperature-stable goods travel in standard containers all year round. Restrictions apply to certain dangerous goods classes and temperature-critical cargo — tell us what you are moving and we will confirm the options straight away.
Prices and booking
Rail quotes from China are prepared individually — the price depends on the departure hub, container type, volume and the final delivery address in Europe. Send the details to service@kvouts.com or use the contact form and you will receive a firm offer, usually within one business day.