Rail transport: the sustainable solution for unpredictable sea freight

The world of freight transport between China and Europe is changing rapidly, and rail transport is playing an increasingly important role in it. Nynke Speulman, logistics coordinator of Rail Bridge Cargo (RBC), explains: "We see a significant shift from sea freight to rail. This is mainly due to the geopolitical situation and problems with sea freight." Nynke refers to the situation in the Suez Canal and disruptions caused by conflicts in Yemen, which force shipping companies to take the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope. "Ships that normally pass through the Suez Canal now often have to detour, extending the transit time to as much as 42 to 48 days." These delays and congestion increase demand for rail transport. Read more after the image.

Economy and express: speed and reliability

RBC offers several solutions, with their Economy solution being the most popular. "Our Economy solution has a transit time of 18 to 20 days, which is surprisingly fast for many customers, especially from sea freight. For those who want even faster, we have our Express service, which delivers within 12 to 14 days." Customers who previously used sea freight are increasingly switching to rail because of these significantly shorter transit times.

Nynke explains how unreliable sea freight can be: "Many shipping companies have to deal with blank sailings, where routes are removed from schedules, and rollovers, where containers are unexpectedly left in an intermediate port to be transported further later. This makes sea freight unpredictable, which can cause companies major logistical problems."

The advantages of rail over air and sea freight

Besides the uncertainty of sea freight, rail also offers significant advantages over air freight. "Air freight has limited capacity and a much larger carbon footprint. Our rail services have 27 times lower emissions (p/tonne km) than air freight and can handle much larger volumes. This allows us to transport goods efficiently and environmentally friendly without compromising on speed."

RBC offers routes through the northern and southern corridors between China and Europe. Despite concerns around the war in Ukraine and possible disruptions, rail transport via the northern route remains the fastest solution, according to Nynke. "We currently offer 43 westbound and 21 eastbound routes. In addition, our southern route has been optimised with more ferry services, so congestion is hardly a problem there."

Sustainable and flexible: the future of rail transport

Nynke predicts that rail transport will play an increasing role in logistics over the next five years. "Air freight simply cannot meet demand in terms of capacity, especially for large loads, and the environmental impact of sea freight is no longer justified. Companies that previously used sea freight are discovering rail as an attractive alternative: faster, cleaner and more reliable."

She stresses that growing demand is not causing capacity problems for RBC. "We have sufficient routes and can distribute volumes, so we always remain flexible." This makes rail a solid choice for companies that prioritise reliability and sustainability in their logistics chain.

A complete door-to-door service

Another key advantage of rail, according to Nynke, is the quick handling at the terminals. "With sea freight, small shipments can sometimes be left for a long time before they can be picked up. With rail, we unload our trains in Duisburg, where goods are quickly available." RBC offers a full door-to-door service. "We collect the products from the supplier in China and deliver them to the customer's doorstep. All the customer has to do is pay the import duties. We do the rest."

Rail Bridge Cargo offers a reliable and sustainable solution to the growing issue of transportation between China and Europe. With fast transit times, flexible solutions and low CO2 emissions, rail offers an attractive alternative to sea and air freight. "Our customers need not worry," says Nynke. "We take care of everything from A to Z, whether it's a single pallet or larger volumes. Rail is not only the future of transport, but already today's solution for many companies."