Rail Cars Shipping
Freight Rail Car & Wagon Export Shipping
On This Page
Ship Your Rail Cars
Get expert advice on the best shipping solution for your equipment.
Related Equipment
Overview
A freight car is longer than any flat rack: even a short hopper runs about 13 m over the couplers, and flatcars and coaches reach 27 m. That rules out the container and flat rack rungs for the car body, so rail cars ship by RoRo on rail cassettes or roll trailers where a lane exists, and breakbulk where it does not.
Bogies (trucks), couplers and brake gear are often taken off and shipped separately in containers, both to lower the car body and because the destination may run a different track gauge. The car body then rides on transport bogies or a cradle.
We plan the lift points, the road or rail move to the port, and the receiving equipment at destination, so each car can be set back on track at the other end.
Typical Specifications
| Weight Range | 20 - 40 metric tons empty |
| Length | 13m - 27m over couplers |
| Types | Hoppers, gondolas, tank cars, flatcars, coaches |
| Gauge | Bogies swapped for destination gauge if needed |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Trinity 5,161 cu ft covered hopper: 59 ft 3 in / 18.06 m long, 10 ft 8 in / 3.25 m wide, 15 ft 1 in / 4.6 m high, 63,900 lb / 29,000 kg.
The ladder below is worked out from these figures. Larger or smaller units of the same type can land on a different rung.
Cheapest first: the shipping cost ladder
We price every machine from the bottom rung up. A machine only moves up a rung when a measurement rules out the cheaper method.
Trinity 5,161 cu ft covered hopper is 59 ft 3 in / 18.06 m long, more than a 39 ft 7 in / 12.06 m flat rack deck, so it ships breakbulk.
- Rung 1
Container
Lowest cost
When: Fits through a 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 8 ft 6 in / 2.58 m door and under 59,500 lb / 27,000 kg, whole or after we take off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels.
- Rung 2
Flat rack
Mid cost
When: Too wide or tall for a container door, but within 14 ft 9 in / 4.5 m wide, 13 ft 1 in / 4 m tall and 86,000 lb / 39,000 kg on one rack.
- Rung 3
RoRo
Mid cost
When: Drives or tows aboard, under 19 ft 8 in / 6 m tall and 110 US tons / 100,000 kg, going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
- Rung 4
Breakbulk
Highest cost
Best fit for Trinity 5,161 cu ft covered hopper
When: Past flat-rack and roll-trailer limits, or shipped as modules lifted aboard piece by piece.
Container (FCL)
RecommendedBogies, wheelsets, couplers, brake equipment and spare parts.
RoRo (on roll trailer)
RecommendedCar bodies on rail cassettes or MAFI roll trailers where a RoRo lane serves the destination.
Breakbulk
RecommendedCar bodies lifted aboard by crane where no RoRo lane exists, or for full fleets on one vessel.
Flat Rack Container
Not for car bodies, which are longer than a 40 ft rack; used for short components only.
Container, flat rack, RoRo or breakbulk?
01Container
- Work needed
- We partially disassemble when needed (bucket, boom, cab, wheels), or take larger machines further apart across several high-cubes and open-tops, then crate, block and lash every part.
- Destinations
- Widest: almost every port worldwide, plus inland delivery by rail.
- Typical cost
- Usually the lowest, with no out-of-gauge surcharges.
- Protection
- Sealed steel box; loose parts and attachments travel locked inside.
- Best for
- Most machines: compact ones as they are, others after partial disassembly, and large ones split across several containers.
02Flat rack
- Work needed
- Ships assembled, blocked and lashed. Surcharges apply when wider than 2.4 m or taller than about 1.95 m.
- Destinations
- Most container ports, on the same vessels as containers.
- Typical cost
- Moderate; rises with every centimetre out of gauge.
- Protection
- Open to the weather; we protect cabs, electronics and hydraulics.
- Best for
- Excavators, dozers and loaders too wide for a container door.
03RoRo
- Work needed
- Drives on assembled; non-runners go on a roll trailer.
- Destinations
- Fewer destinations: regular lanes to Europe, West Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and parts of Latin America.
- Typical cost
- Often competitive for large self-propelled machines where a lane exists.
- Protection
- Below deck, but loose items and attachments cannot ride inside the cab.
- Best for
- Running machines going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
04Breakbulk
- Work needed
- Lifted aboard piece by piece by ship’s or shore cranes, on its own skids or cradle, then stowed and lashed in the hold or on deck.
- Destinations
- Ports with breakbulk berths and heavy-lift cranes; sailings are booked voyage by voyage.
- Typical cost
- Usually the highest for a single small machine; often the only option for the largest pieces.
- Protection
- In the hold or lashed on deck; we crate, wrap and protect exposed parts.
- Best for
- Pieces too large or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer: transformers, process modules, mining trucks, crane sections.
Handling & Preparation Requirements
- Certified lift points and spreader bar lift plan
- Bogies removed and crated, or car secured on transport bogies
- Tank cars cleaned, purged and certified empty
- Hatches, valves and doors closed and sealed
- Brake gear and couplers protected or removed
- Destination gauge and receiving track confirmed
Common Models We Ship
Where rail cars shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on rail cars bookings, and what avoids them.
- Cars built to AAR Plate C or Plate F clearances are taller and wider than many overseas loading gauges, so the car profile is checked against the destination railway before the cars are bought.
- AAR knuckle couplers and air brake valves do not work with buffer-and-chain or UIC brake systems, so cars bound for those networks need new draft gear and brake equipment budgeted.
- Rail wheels cannot roll up a RoRo ramp, so a car delivered to the terminal without a rail cassette or roll trailer reserved waits there, accruing storage, until one is found.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a rail car go on a flat rack?
No. Car bodies are 13 m or longer, more than a 40 ft flat rack deck. They ship by RoRo on rail cassettes or roll trailers, or breakbulk.
What happens to the bogies?
They are often removed and shipped in containers, especially when the destination runs a different gauge and new bogies are fitted on arrival.
Can tank cars ship?
Yes, once cleaned, purged and certified empty. Residue in a tank car makes it dangerous goods cargo.
Plan your shipment
Import Duty & Tax Estimator
Estimate duty and VAT on the CIF value for 70+ destinations.
Dimensional Weight Calculator
Work out chargeable weight before you book.
Container Space Calculator
See how your cargo fits in 20ft, 40ft, and HC containers.
Route Finder
Load port, sailings, duty and rules for a machine and destination.
Ready to Ship Your Rail Cars?
Get a customized quote for your equipment. Our experts handle rail cars shipments worldwide.