Rail Freight — a balance between speed and price
Rail freight is a sensible middle ground, especially for the Asia route: your cargo arrives faster than by sea, but the transport costs less than by air. We arrange both full and partial loads.
Why choose rail
- The route does not depend on port congestion
- Suitable for both full and partial loads
- The carbon footprint is smaller than for air freight
How rail freight works in practice
The cargo is collected in the country of origin and loaded into a container, which travels by train through the Central Asian corridor to Europe. During the journey, there is a change of rail gauge, which is a standard part of the process and does not mean the cargo is repacked.
From the European terminal, the container continues by road to its final destination. The entire chain — pre-carriage, rail transport, terminal handling, customs clearance and final delivery — is handled under a single order and through a single point of contact.
With rail freight, it's important to consider that schedules are less frequent than for sea freight: departures are on specific days. Therefore, it's a good idea to submit your enquiry early so we can select the most suitable departure.
What to consider
- Not all goods are suitable for rail: some dangerous goods and temperature-sensitive cargo require special conditions
- In winter, very low temperatures can affect certain goods — let us know if your cargo is sensitive to cold
- Prices fluctuate seasonally, especially before the Chinese New Year when demand increases sharply
What we arrange
- Booking rail space and ordering the container
- Pre-carriage from the loading point to the rail terminal
- Customs clearance and transit documents, including T1
- Delivery to the final destination in Estonia
- A multimodal solution if it makes sense for part of the journey to be completed by other means
Frequently asked questions
Who is rail freight best suited for?
For companies with a regular flow of goods from Asia for whom sea freight is too slow, but air freight is too expensive.
Can partial loads also be shipped by rail?
Yes. If you have less than a full container load, we consolidate it with other shipments. You only pay for the space you use.
See also: sea freight · air freight · rail freight · customs clearance · warehousing
From the blog: Shipping from China to Estonia
Ready to ship?
Let's get your cargo moving.
Describe your shipment and we will prepare a specific quote for you – generally within one business day.