The China Railway Express (CR Express) is a containerized international intermodal train service with fixed train numbers, routes, and schedules, organized by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. Connecting China with Europe and countries along the “Belt and Road”, it is renowned as the “Iron Camel Caravan”. Featuring safe and stable operations as well as green and low-carbon features, it is ideal for high value-added and time-sensitive goods, serving as a critical land corridor for the Asia-Europe supply chain.
Centered on the three core main corridors of the West, Central, and East routes, supplemented by the emerging southern backup corridor, the China Railway Express covers departure cities across East China, South China, Central and Western China domestically. Internationally, it reaches 232 cities in 26 European countries. In 2026, the fourth batch of full-process timetables released by China State Railway Group has expanded to cover 17 core routes.
Core Transportation Data
- Mileage: The mainstream China-Europe routes span 9,800 to 13,000 kilometers, with a transit time of 10 to 21 days.
- Transit Time: The West Corridor offers the fastest delivery of approximately 13 days, while the Central and East Corridors take around 14 to 15 days, and the southern backup corridor takes about 18 to 21 days.
- Departures: In 2026, the core routes will operate nearly 100 departures per month, totaling over 1,000 trains annually.
- Cargo Types: Covering over 50,000 types of goods in 53 categories, the “New Three Items” – new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products – have become the main growth drivers. The overall loaded container rate remains stable at 100%.
Route Layout
West Corridor
Alashankou and Khorgos Ports → Kazakhstan → Russia → Belarus → Poland → Europe. This corridor is suitable for cargo sources from South China, Southwest China, and Northwest China.
- Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe Railway (Chongqing – Duisburg): Total length of 11,179 kilometers, transit time of approximately 13 days.
- Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe Railway (Yiwu – Madrid): Total length of 13,052 kilometers, transit time of approximately 21 days (the longest route).
- Chang’an Train (Xi’an – Mannheim / Prague / Milan, etc.): Fastest delivery to Europe in 9 days.
Central Corridor
Erenhot Port → Mongolia → Russia → Belarus → Europe. This corridor is suitable for cargo sources from North China and Central China.
- Zhengzhou-Europe Railway (Zhengzhou – Hamburg): Total length of 10,245 kilometers, transit time of approximately 15 days.
East Corridor
Manzhouli and Suifenhe Ports → Russian Siberian Railway → Europe. Approximately 26% of the routes connect to the main line of Russian Railways. This corridor is suitable for cargo sources from Northeast China and East China.
- Harbin-Europe Railway (Harbin – Hamburg)
- Wuhan-Xinjiang-Europe Railway (Wuhan – Hamburg / Copenhagen): The new Wuhan-Copenhagen route was launched in 2026.
- Suzhou-Manzhouli-Europe Railway (Suzhou – Warsaw): Departing via Manzhouli Port, with a transit time of approximately 15 days.
South Corridor (Trans-Caspian)
Khorgos and other ports → Kazakhstan → Caspian Sea ferry → Azerbaijan → Georgia → Turkey / Black Sea. This emerging corridor bypasses Russia, serving as a backup to mitigate geopolitical risks, with a slightly longer transit time.
- Xi’an – Trans-Caspian Corridor (covering Azerbaijan and Georgia)
- Guangzhou China-Europe Railway: Departing via Khorgos Port, delivering to Poland / Germany / Spain in 14 days, with 4 e-commerce dedicated trains per week.
Our Services
- Full Container Load (FCL) Service
- Less than Container Load (LCL) Service
- Professional Customs Clearance Services
Our company provides professional services covering the full process of import and export cargo clearance, including document review, customs declaration and inspection coordination.