Rail freight transport is a means of shipping cargo via train. Railway transport encompasses freight service in three general categories: unit trains, carload freight, and intermodal freight.
There are hundreds or even thousands of different types of cargo being shipped every day, and many of those require specialized cars to accommodate them. The most common types of cars which are used in rail freight shipping today are as follows:
According to ISO regulations, the industry standards are 20 feet and 40 feet container types. To increase the rail transport capacity, sometimes double stack containers are used, this implements carrying two layers of intermodal containers, and is mainly used in the USA.
There are also Piggyback trains, which are referred to where a transportation unit can be carried on the back of something else. For instance, road vehicles such as semi-trailers or truck-trailer combinations can be loaded onto trains with the help of ramps or by crane.
LCL (less than container load) or groupage shipments can be easily transported by railway. Agora Freight ensures seamless supply chains and offers consolidation service for LCL, which moves regularly to Europe and Russia from China. You can find out more about our consolidation and also warehousing services in China on the dedicated webpage.
Railway transportation is a good choice when an accurate delivery time is required, it is a punctual means of transport, and weather conditions are unlikely to block the operation of rail freight shipping. It is estimated twice as quick as ocean freight and 8 times cheaper than air freight.
Railway freight transportation is cost-effective and can be more efficient than other modes of transportation. It has lower fuel costs compared to road transport, especially when shipping a high volume of freight, is suitable for various kinds of goods and is famous for its multimodal shipments. The containers and trailers used are compatible with both road and rail freight, often called multimodal transport, which means that there is no need to unload and reload at transit points; the whole container or trailer is simply lifted and attached from the train to the truck or vice versa.
As for its environmental benefits, using railway transportation helps to reduce exhaust emissions as trains burn less fuel than trucks. A high level of security is another benefit, such as GPS tracking, which is widely used in trains that guarantees the safety of cargo during rail freight trasportation.
The drawback of railway transportation is the lack of flexibility. Sometimes the place of destination is out of reach of the railway station. In this case, the cargo will arrive at the nearest station and then be moved via road to the destination.
When choosing rail transportation, be aware that there are the following costs:
To get the rate for the rail services immediately, please visit Agora Freight Calculator. All you need is to choose the station of departure and destination, fill in the basic parameters of your cargo and click on Search. Agora Freight’s clever algorithms and simply designed interface are able to give you real-time prices in seconds.
Shanghai, China
Mala, Poland
Container
1х40'HC
20000.0 KG
Chengdu, China
Minsk, Belarus
Container
1х40'
20000.0 KG
Xiamen, China
Bely Rast, Russia
Container
1х40'
20000.0 KG
Agora Freight provides rail freight transport for both FCL (Full-Container Loads) or LCL (Less-than-a-Container Loads or groupage cargo) shipments. The routes covered may be from China to European countries including Russia and Belarus, Central Asia and vice versa, as well as within the Russian Federation. This is especially used to or from the Russian ports where the distances are prohibitive for overland trucking.
In the field of domestic and international cargo transport by rail, we offer:
We can offer either cargo transportation by rail, for example, from China to the Russian Federation, but also a comprehensive logistics service, including:
Enter the route, weight, and dimensions of cargo.
Choose the most suitable options for the shipment of your cargo.
Submit your booking which will be immediately assigned to one of our specialists who will manage everything from there.
Track your cargo in your personal area, automatic e-mail or sms notifications on status changes may be switched on.
