China State Railway Group has released its first-quarter performance report on the China–Europe Railway Express. A total of 5,460 trains operated in Q1, representing a 29% increase, carrying 546,000 TEUs of cargo, up 22%.This growth rate is quite surprising. Although maritime transport has been chaotic over the past two years, rail freight has remained relatively modest, and many still regarded it as a backup option.

The changes go beyond mere volume growth—there has also been a structural shift.The eastern corridors, including Manzhouli, Suifenhe and Tongjiangbei, saw a 49% rise in train services, nearly a half increase. The route across the Caspian Sea surged by 150%.Scheduled through trains now run 22 times a week, with travel time reduced by more than 30%, and cargo value per container up by 41%.Taken together, these figures send a clear signal: the China–Europe Railway Express is gradually evolving from an alternative solution into a core route that offsets the timeliness shortcomings of maritime transport and accommodates high-value-added cargo.

Πρώτα, let’s look at why growth has been so rapid.

The most direct driver is the situation in the Red Sea and the Middle East. After ocean freight vessels began routing around the Cape of Good Hope, shipping time from China to Europe stretched from just over 20 days to 30–40 days, with highly unreliable schedules. Freight forwarders and shippers were constantly asked by customers “where is the cargo?” with no clear answer to give. By contrast, the China–Europe Railway Express now maintains a stable transit time of 12–15 days. Although it is more expensive than ocean freight in normal times, it is twice as fast as the diverted ocean route. For high-value goods such as auto parts, ηλεκτρονική, και μηχανήματα, the time advantage has become more attractive than the price difference.

Another driver is the boom on the eastern corridor. Many people associate the China–Europe Railway Express with Alashankou, yet the eastern corridor saw a 49% increase in the first quarter — the fastest growth among the three major corridors. The reason is simple: for shipments originating in Northeast and North China, the route via Manzhouli through Russia is the shortest path to Europe. Εξάλλου, this line is unaffected by Middle East tensions, ensuring stable transit times. The Suifenhe port recorded a 164% jump in China–Europe train traffic in Q1, with cargo shifting from bulk timber to home appliances, ανταλλακτικά αυτοκινήτων, και ηλεκτρονικά. This shows that the users of this route have changed: no longer just shippers of low-value bulk commodities, but customers who truly care about speed and reliability.

The Trans-Caspian route surged by 150%. This corridor bypasses Russia, traveling via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Αζερμπαϊτζάν, Georgia, and Turkey into Europe, with a transit time of roughly 15 ημέρες. Its value lies in providing an alternative for customers unable to use Russian territory. Some shippers, due to internal compliance rules or customer requirements, cannot ship goods through Russia. Previously, they had no choice but to use ocean freight or pay a premium for air transport. Now, with increased capacity on the Trans-Caspian route, departures from Xi’an have reached three times every Saturday, with fixed timetables now available.

Fixed-timetable through services deserve the closest attention from freight forwarders. There are now 22 weekly departures, originating from 9 cities in China and arriving at 6 cities in Europe. Transit times have been cut by more than 30%, while cargo value per container has risen by 41%.

What does a 41% increase in cargo value per container mean?It means the trains are no longer carrying low-value goods, but high-value cargo such as electronics, precision instruments, και φαρμακευτικών προϊόντων. Customers willing to pay for speed and reliability are shifting from ocean freight to rail. Booking rates have reached 95%, indicating strong and tight demand.

Capacity will expand further in April, with the number of fixed-timetable routes increasing from 11 να 17, and annual departures expected to exceed 1,000. The biggest advantage of this service is not just speed, but punctuality — fixed departures and arrivals just like high-speed rail. For customers with tight production schedules, this level of certainty is more valuable than saving a few extra days in transit.

What can we do?

As customers , what we care most about is nothing more than time efficiency, cost and convenience. Professional forwarders can help us solve these core demands and even take into account many details we haven’t thought of. Ειδικά, there are mainly the following aspects:

Many of us still have the impression that the China-Europe Railway Express is “twice as expensive as θαλάσσιο φορτίο“, but we haven’t noticed that the time efficiency of sea freight is no longer the previous 20-odd days, but now it generally takes 30-40 ημέρες. For the extra half a month to 20 ημέρες, our inventory will be stuck, our capital will be occupied, and if there is a stockout, the loss will be even greater. A good forwarder will not only quote the freight rate, but also take the initiative to help us make a simple cost comparison, calculate the inventory and capital costs caused by the time efficiency gap, so that we no longer only focus on the single freight rate and can make a more cost-effective choice.

Recommend the most suitable route according to your situation, instead of adopting a “ένα μέγεθος που ταιριάζει σε όλους” approach.

Recommend the most suitable route according to our situation, instead of adopting a “ένα μέγεθος που ταιριάζει σε όλους” approach. Some forwarders who just say “ship via Alashankou” as soon as they open their mouths, completely ignoring our actual situation. But Huazong are different. We will take the initiative to provide adaptive solutions based on the first-quarter route data: if the goods are in North China or Northeast China, we will recommend the Manzhouli route, which has better time efficiency; if we have compliance concerns and cannot take the Russian route, will recommend the Trans-Caspian route to help us avoid concerns while ensuring time efficiency. You don’t have to study the differences between various routes yourself, which saves a lot of trouble.

Distinguish between train types to match your production needs.

Huazong takes the initiative to recommend the “full-time schedule trains” to you exclusively, and clarifies to you that although the price of this train is slightly higher, it departs and arrives on time just like a high-speed train. This predictable time efficiency is more important than the speed itself for customers with tight production schedules—it can accurately connect production and delivery, so we don’t have to worry about uncertain time efficiency.

When look for a forwarder, we don’t just want to find someone to book a space, but more importantly, we hope to save worry. If a forwarder only does space booking, we have to connect with links such as overseas delivery, customs clearance and overseas warehouses ourselves, which is particularly troublesome. Huazong Logistics can provide us with a “railway + διανομή” one-stop solution, connecting all links such as space booking, εκτελωνισμός, overseas delivery and overseas warehouses. Most of the goods we transport by China-Europe Railway Express are high-value. we are also willing to pay for this convenience as long as we can save worry and ensure services.

Οντως, we can also feel that with the current detour of θαλάσσιο φορτίο, high oil prices and prolonged time efficiency, more and more goods are shifting from sea to railway, which is also a better choice for us. When we look for a forwarder, the core is not to “low prices”, but to hope that someone can help us figure out the time account, choose the right route, ensure time efficiency, and provide worry-free services, helping us reduce inventory pressure and stockout risks—that is the real value we need.