Rail versus air and sea We close the gap between air and sea freight The rail-terminal to rail-terminal transit time is around 15 to 18 days, depending on the route. That is in average half the time it takes to move a container by ship, especially since the introduction of “slow steaming” in order to save fuel. Thanks to these shorter transit times, businesses can react more quickly to changing market demands. A train is of course slower than a plane, but on the other hand the transport costs much lower. Companies whose goods literally “missed the boat” from China have previously been obliged to book expensive air freight to get their goods to their destination on time. Rail now offers an environmentally friendly and flexible solution for getting goods to Europe which is several times cheaper than air. Air freight facts Rail freight facts Sea freight facts Transit time: 2-10 days Transit time: 2-3 weeks Transit time: 4-6 weeks High frequency High frequency / High level of flexibility High frequency Low weight capacity Several containers per shipment Unstable rates High costs in general Environment friendly Slow/super slow steaming