China–Europe Rail Transit Times 2026: Real Data from 593 Trains
Quick answer: Over the last 90 days, CDRD's busiest westbound lane, Chengdu → Małaszewicze, ran 135 trains averaging 18.1 days station to station; the latest 10 trains averaged 16.8 days (15–19), and 90% of all trains arrived within 23 days. All figures below are from trains that actually arrived, regenerated daily; latest arrival 2026-09-02.
Source: CDRD shipment records — 593 trains. Station-to-station, calendar days, departure to arrival. Page generated 2026-09-04.
Last 90 days
| Route | Trains | Average (days) | Fastest | 90% arrive within | Latest 10 trains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu → Małaszewicze | 135 | 18.1 days | 13 days | 23 days | 16.8 days avg (15–19) |
| Chengdu → Duisburg | 124 | 26.2 days | 17 days | 33 days | 20.7 days avg (18–25) |
| Chengdu → Hamburg | 76 | 26.3 days | 18 days | 33 days | 21.7 days avg (18–28) |
| Chengdu → Łódź | 12 | 23.2 days | 17 days | 29 days | 21.9 days avg (17–29) |
| Tilburg → Chengdu (eastbound) | 8 | 21.2 days | 21 days | 22 days | 21.2 days avg (21–22) |
| Łódź → Chengdu (eastbound) | 8 | 18.0 days | 16 days | 19 days | 18.0 days avg (16–20) |
All recorded trains
| Route | Trains | Average (days) | Fastest | 90% arrive within | Latest 10 trains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu → Małaszewicze | 214 | 18.7 days | 12 days | 24 days | 16.8 days avg (15–19) |
| Chengdu → Duisburg | 183 | 25.7 days | 16 days | 33 days | 20.7 days avg (18–25) |
| Chengdu → Hamburg | 111 | 26.5 days | 18 days | 33 days | 21.7 days avg (18–28) |
| Chengdu → Łódź | 38 | 22.6 days | 14 days | 29 days | 21.9 days avg (17–29) |
| Tilburg → Chengdu (eastbound) | 25 | 23.8 days | 20 days | 31 days | 21.6 days avg (21–24) |
| Łódź → Chengdu (eastbound) | 22 | 19.6 days | 16 days | 23 days | 17.9 days avg (16–20) |
Route by route
Chengdu → Małaszewicze 成都-马拉舍维奇
Latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-18): average 16.8 days, range 15–19 days.
Last 90 days (135 trains): average 18.1 days, fastest 13, 90% arrived within 23 days.
All 214 recorded trains: average 18.7 days, fastest 12, 90% arrived within 24 days; departures from 2026-03-06 to 2026-08-18.
Chengdu → Duisburg 成都-杜伊斯堡
Latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-12): average 20.7 days, range 18–25 days.
Last 90 days (124 trains): average 26.2 days, fastest 17, 90% arrived within 33 days.
All 183 recorded trains: average 25.7 days, fastest 16, 90% arrived within 33 days; departures from 2026-03-07 to 2026-08-12.
Chengdu → Hamburg 成都-汉堡
Latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-10): average 21.7 days, range 18–28 days.
Last 90 days (76 trains): average 26.3 days, fastest 18, 90% arrived within 33 days.
All 111 recorded trains: average 26.5 days, fastest 18, 90% arrived within 33 days; departures from 2026-01-29 to 2026-08-10.
Chengdu → Łódź 成都-罗兹
Latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-12): average 21.9 days, range 17–29 days.
Last 90 days (12 trains): average 23.2 days, fastest 17, 90% arrived within 29 days.
All 38 recorded trains: average 22.6 days, fastest 14, 90% arrived within 29 days; departures from 2026-02-10 to 2026-08-12.
Tilburg → Chengdu 蒂尔堡-成都 (eastbound)
Latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-06): average 21.6 days, range 21–24 days.
Last 90 days (8 trains): average 21.2 days, fastest 21, 90% arrived within 22 days.
All 25 recorded trains: average 23.8 days, fastest 20, 90% arrived within 31 days; departures from 2026-01-14 to 2026-08-06.
Łódź → Chengdu 罗兹-成都 (eastbound)
Latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-13): average 17.9 days, range 16–20 days.
Last 90 days (8 trains): average 18.0 days, fastest 16, 90% arrived within 19 days.
All 22 recorded trains: average 19.6 days, fastest 16, 90% arrived within 23 days; departures from 2025-12-04 to 2026-08-13.
How to read these numbers
- Station to station. Departure from the Chinese rail terminal to arrival at the European terminal. Door-to-door adds origin pickup, destination delivery and customs — typically several days at each end.
- Actual arrivals, not schedules. A train enters the data only after it has arrived. There is no forecasting and no filtering of slow trains.
- "90% arrive within" instead of "slowest". The single slowest train on a lane usually reflects a one-off customs inspection, a damaged wagon or a transload hold. The 90th percentile tells you what to plan for; the outlier does not.
- "Latest 10 trains" shows current performance, which can differ from the 90-day average when conditions improve or worsen.
- Why the spread. The two gauge changes — Alashankou or Khorgos on the China–Kazakhstan border and Małaszewicze on the Belarus–Poland border — are the main variable, followed by seasonal congestion and destination terminal availability.
- Eastbound lanes (Europe → China) are shown separately; they carry different cargo profiles and border sequences.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the train from Chengdu to Małaszewicze take?
Based on 135 CDRD trains that arrived over the last 90 days: average 18.1 days station to station, fastest 13 days, 90% within 23 days. The latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-18) averaged 16.8 days, range 15–19.
How long does the train from Chengdu to Duisburg take?
Based on 124 CDRD trains that arrived over the last 90 days: average 26.2 days station to station, fastest 17 days, 90% within 33 days. The latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-12) averaged 20.7 days, range 18–25.
How long does the train from Chengdu to Hamburg take?
Based on 76 CDRD trains that arrived over the last 90 days: average 26.3 days station to station, fastest 18 days, 90% within 33 days. The latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-10) averaged 21.7 days, range 18–28.
How long does the train from Chengdu to Łódź take?
Based on 12 CDRD trains that arrived over the last 90 days: average 23.2 days station to station, fastest 17 days, 90% within 29 days. The latest 10 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-12) averaged 21.9 days, range 17–29.
How long does the train from Tilburg to Chengdu take?
Based on 8 CDRD trains that arrived over the last 90 days: average 21.2 days station to station, fastest 21 days, 90% within 22 days. The latest 8 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-06) averaged 21.2 days, range 21–22.
How long does the train from Łódź to Chengdu take?
Based on 8 CDRD trains that arrived over the last 90 days: average 18.0 days station to station, fastest 16 days, 90% within 19 days. The latest 8 trains (most recent departure 2026-08-13) averaged 18.0 days, range 16–20.
Are these door-to-door transit times?
No. They are station-to-station: from departure at the Chinese rail terminal to arrival at the European terminal. Add origin pickup, destination delivery and customs clearance — typically several days at each end — for a door-to-door estimate.
Where does this data come from and how often is it updated?
Every row is a real CDRD-handled train with its actual departure and arrival dates. The page is regenerated automatically each day from our records; the latest arrival in the current dataset is 2026-09-02. It is not a carrier schedule or a marketing estimate.
Why do transit times vary between trains on the same route?
Throughput at the two gauge-change points (Alashankou/Khorgos and Małaszewicze), seasonal congestion around Chinese New Year and year-end, weather, destination terminal availability, and occasional customs inspections or wagon changes on individual trains. We show the 90th percentile rather than the single slowest train, because one-off holds are not representative of the lane.
For live position of a specific container, use the tracking page. For a quotation with realistic door-to-door lead time on any of these lanes, request a quote.