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Rail Freight Europe

Boarding trains across Europe


Our rail freight services offer secure, reliable and sustainable freight transportation via rail throughout Europe - from pick-up to delivery, our standardized operations ensure a smooth and seamless customer experience. 

Sustainability

Minimize your carbon footprint by up to 80% (compared to unimodal solutions) with our eco-friendly rail solutions and take it even further with our "Green Rail Electricity" option for even greater CO2-savings.

Capacity and Efficiency

Rail transportation overcomes the hurdles of driver shortages and driving restrictions, streamlining operations by consolidating around 40 truckloads into a single train journey.

Safety

With rail, your shipments are in safe hands. The reduced risk of damage during transit ensures higher reliability and superior service quality and your peace of mind, every step along the way.

User-Friendly

Our one-stop-shop -approach provides seamless end-to-end solutions, including pre- and post-carriage services. DHL as single point of contact your  transportation needs are handled with ease and efficiency.

Our Corridors, Network and Connections


We operate across five key regions:

  • Germany Domestic  Over 55 company trains per week, covering major South/North and East/West corridors
  • Sweden Domestic Our comprehensive rail network spans all of Sweden, delivering CO2-efficient transport solutions nationwide
  • France Domestic  Daily intermodal shipments 
  • From Sweden to Northern Italy  Offering daily departures between Sweden and Northern Italy for reliable and sustainable transport
  • From Italy to UK/Belgium  Daily departures between Italy, the UK, and Belgium, ensuring seamless service in both directions

Germany Domestic Rail Network

Own DHL Rail Network with 55+ weekly company trains operated and dedicated to DHL Freight. Flexibility to adapt wagon fleet / train length according needs. Transportations of all kinds of cranable loading unit types possible.

Indicative Lead Times

Parcel InterCity: Pick-up + 1 (Overnight Service)
Regular Trains: Pick-up + 1 (Day Time Services)

Connections

Parcel InterCity Train Service: Monday – Friday

  • Hamburg - Billwerder Ubf - München-Riem Ubf
  • Hamburg - Billwerder Ubf - Kornwestheim Ubf
  • Bönen KV - Berlin-Großbeeren Ubf

Regular Train Service: Tuesday – Saturday

  • Mannheim Hgbf - Berlin-Großbeeren Ubf
  • Nürnberg Hafen - Lehrte MegaHub

A map of Germany showing DHL Freight rail connections between locations in Germany including regular train routes and Parcel InterCity routes.

Sweden Domestic Rail Network

Single wagon transports covering all of Sweden (up to post code areas 84 – 98). Reliable transports even in challenging weather conditions.

 

Indicative Lead Times

For 5 weekly departures: Pick-up + 1 day 
For 2 weekly depratures: Pick-up + 2 days  *

Connections

  • Göteborg - Sundsvall
  • Trelleborg / Malmö - Eskilstuna
  • Årsta / Stockholm – Lübeck-Travemünde (DE) (incl. ferry)
  • Falköping - Luleå
  • Göteborg - Umeå
  • Trelleborg - Eskilstuna – Umeå *

A map of Sweden showing DHL Freight rail connections between locations in Sweden including daily and test rail connections. The ferry route between Lübeck-Travemünde and Ärsta is also shown in the map.

France Domestic Rail Network

Daily intermodal shipments. 

 

Indicative Lead Times

Pick-up +1 Day
Pick-up + 2 Days

Depending on the opening hours of customers premises.

Connections

5 weekly departures in both directions

  • Lille and Paris - Bordeaux 
  • Lille and Paris - Toulouse
  • Lille and Paris - Marseille Area
  • Lille - Perpignan

2 weekly departures in both directions

  • Nancy - Marseille Area

A map of France showing DHL Freight rail connections between locations in France.

Italy - Germany - Sweden - Finland

Reliable Block Space Agreement services on public trains connecting Northern Italy with Germany, Sweden, and Finland. Comprehensive coverage across all of Sweden, Finland and Italy (excluding islands).

 

Indicative Lead Times

Verona - Lübeck: Pick-up Day + 2 days
Verona - Rostock: Pick-up + 1 (deliveries during weekend Pick-up Day + 2 or 3 days)

Connections

10 weekly departures in both directions

  • Verona (IT) - Lübeck, Travemünde (DE) 

 

6 weekly departures in both directions

  • Verona (IT) - Rostock (DE)

From Rostock / Lübeck onwards ferry connections to various ports in Sweden and Finland.

A map over Italy, Germany, Sweden and Finland showing DHL Freight rail connections between Verona, Lübeck-Travemünde and Rostock. Ferry routes from Germany to Sweden harbours in Malmö, Trelleborg and Karlsham, to Finland harbours in Turku, Hanko and Helsinki, to Liepaja in Latvia and Klaipeda in Lithuania are shown.

Italy - Belgium - Netherlands - UK

Daily Block Space Agreement on public trains linking Northern Italy to Belgium and the Netherlands.

 

Indicative Lead Times

Pick-up + 3 days (Door-to-Door: Continental Mainland)
Pick-up + 5 days (Door-to-Door: including UK)

Connections

Daily departures between Italy, the UK, and Belgium

  • Segrate Milano (IT) - Rotterdam (NL)
  • Segrate Milano (IT) - Zeebrugge (BE)

From Rotterdam / Zeebrugge onwards ferry connections to Purfleet / Killingholme / Teesport (UK)

A map of Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK showing DHL Freight rail connections between Milan Segrate, Zeebrugge and Rotterdam. Ferry routes from Zeebrugge and Rotterdam to United Kingdom harbours Purfleet and Teesport are shown.

DHL Freight Rail Solutions


DHL Freight offers tailor-made solutions to accommodate your business needs.

Intermodal Solutions across Europe

From pick-up to delivery, our standardized operations ensure a smooth and seamless customer experience. Our dedicated teams efficiently manage every aspect of intermodal transport, from coordinating pre- and post-road carriage to organizing the rail main leg.

Our FTL Rail Service is:

  • Environmentally friendly
  • Cost-efficient
  • Offers reliable, timely connections throughout Europe

Conventional Rail Transport in Europe

DHL Freight offers conventional rail solutions, ranging from single wagon load shipments to full block trains. With this solution, we transport your goods from your rail siding to your receiver’s rail siding, ensuring a seamless and efficient process.

Our Conventional Rail Services include:

  • Fleet Management
  • Customs Clearance Services

Rail Freight Transportation Types

DHL Company Trains

As an intermodal operator, DHL Freight bundles intermodal units into full trains, accommodating up to 40 trailers per departure. These dedicated trains are chartered and operated by DHL Freight on behalf of our customers.

Block Train Solutions

For routes not served by DHL company trains, we secure daily capacity on third-party trains, ensuring reliable transport across a more extensive range of lanes.

Spot Trains on request.

Intermodal Solutions across Europe

From pick-up to delivery, our standardized operations ensure a smooth and seamless customer experience. Our dedicated teams efficiently manage every aspect of intermodal transport, from coordinating pre- and post-road carriage to organizing the rail main leg.

Our FTL Rail Service is:

  • Environmentally friendly
  • Cost-efficient
  • Offers reliable, timely connections throughout Europe

Conventional Rail Transport in Europe

DHL Freight offers conventional rail solutions, ranging from single wagon load shipments to full block trains. With this solution, we transport your goods from your rail siding to your receiver’s rail siding, ensuring a seamless and efficient process.

Our Conventional Rail Services include:

  • Fleet Management
  • Customs Clearance Services

Rail Freight Transportation Types

DHL Company Trains

As an intermodal operator, DHL Freight bundles intermodal units into full trains, accommodating up to 40 trailers per departure. These dedicated trains are chartered and operated by DHL Freight on behalf of our customers.

Block Train Solutions

For routes not served by DHL company trains, we secure daily capacity on third-party trains, ensuring reliable transport across a more extensive range of lanes.

Spot Trains on request.

freight-train-at-container-port

Additional Asian and North American Rail Freight


DHL’s Global Forwarding division handles LCL and FTL rail freight in other areas of the world.

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