Why Malaszewicze matters
Rail freight from China runs on the 1520 mm broad-gauge network as far as Brest / Malaszewicze on the Belarus–Poland border, where containers are reloaded onto standard European gauge wagons and enter the EU customs territory. Clearing customs in Poland is a popular strategy for goods distributed across Central and Western Europe — one import declaration, then free circulation across the EU.
Departure stations and transit times
| Departure station | Transit (station to station) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Xi'an | Standard 20–25 days; express timetable 16–18 days | About 40 trains per month |
| Wuhan | Standard 16–23 days; express timetable 16–20 days | Twice weekly departures |
| Yiwu / Jinhua | Standard 18–25 days; express timetable 15–21 days | Tuesday, Thursday standard; Saturday express |
| Jinan | 18–35 days | About 4 trains per month |
| Pinghu (Guangzhou / Shenzhen) | 16–20 days | Scheduled departures |
| Gaoyi (Shijiazhuang) | Express timetable 15–23 days | Twice monthly, via Erenhot |
Transit times are typical station-to-station figures and vary with the product and border congestion; we confirm the next departure at booking.
Service scope
- FCL 20ft / 40ft / 40HQ and LCL groupage to Malaszewicze, Warsaw and other Polish terminals.
- Polish import clearance (duty and VAT) or T1 onward transit to another EU clearance office.
- DDP delivery across Poland, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Netherlands and beyond.
- Return capacity from Malaszewicze to China — see rail freight from Poland to China.
Frequently asked questions
How long does rail freight from China to Poland take?
16–25 days station to station depending on departure station and product: express timetables from Yiwu and Gaoyi run as fast as 15–21 days, standard trains 20–25 days.
Where do China–Europe trains enter the EU?
At Malaszewicze on the Belarus–Poland border, where containers are reloaded from broad-gauge to standard-gauge wagons and enter EU customs territory. We arrange Polish clearance or T1 transit onward.
Can I clear customs in Poland and distribute across the EU?
Yes. One Polish import declaration puts goods in free circulation across the EU single market; we then deliver by road to any member state.