China–Europe rail freight hits record volumes as rates climb

China–Europe rail freight keeps breaking its own records. In May 2026 the total number of block-train trips since the service began passed 130,000, with cargo value above $520 billion. At the same time, spot rates kept climbing — and the market looks tight for the rest of the year.

Volumes keep climbing

Between January and July 2026, China–Europe trains ran 12,988 trips, up 17.6% on the same period last year. By 10 June the year had already passed 10,000 trains and one million TEU — the earliest that milestone has ever been reached.

The longer trend is starker still. Annual volume grew from 1,702 trains in 2016 to 20,022 in 2025, roughly ten times in a decade. The trains also run more balanced now, with eastbound and westbound load factors both above 85%.

Why rates are rising

Rail rates have climbed through 2026. The average China–Europe rate was around $7,000 per FEU (shipper-owned container) in April and about $8,300 in May, with further rises of 5–10% during the month. On key routes, some bookings were expected to reach $10,000 per FEU (carrier-owned container).

The driver is capacity. Train space is scarce, and containers are short at the main pickup points — Shanghai, Xiamen, Chengdu and Xi'an. New container production is booked out to October–November, and rental prices on the Europe, Central Asia and Russia routes have all moved up.

What it means for shippers

If you ship by rail, book space earlier than usual and confirm container availability before you accept a rate. For smaller volumes, LCL (shared container) is still a practical way to hold the cost down.

We hold weekly block-train space from Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing and Yiwu. If you have a rail shipment coming up, get in touch and we'll check the live schedule and rate before you commit.