Shipping cargo by rail in refrigerated containers

Many transported goods require special temperature conditions during transit; otherwise, they will spoil. Due to the convenience of multimodal transport using containers, the question arose about the necessity of creating refrigerated containers. Multimodality refers to the ability to move the same container by sea, rail, and road transport, allowing for "door-to-door" delivery. Thus, multimodal refrigerated containers were created.

What and in which directions are refrigerated containers used for transport

Refrigerated containers are used to transport perishable goods that require specific conditions. These include:

• Chilled and frozen food products.
• Various medical preparations.
• A range of perfumery and cosmetic products.
• Anything that can spoil due to overheating.

Thanks to multimodality, the potential delivery area is the entire world. Refrigerated containers can be sent by rail within Eurasia between any stations included in the common railway network. Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other countries that were previously part of the USSR, European states, China — this is a partial list of regions for the delivery of refrigerated containers by rail.

Refrigerated containers and their characteristics

There are refrigerated containers with water cooling, but due to their high cost, they are gradually becoming obsolete. A modern refrigerated container has its own refrigeration unit powered by electricity and using special gases as refrigerants.

The refrigeration unit is installed at one end of the container. It supplies air at a set temperature to the floor level, which then rises, cooling or heating the cargo compartment, and is pumped back into the refrigeration unit. The temperature range that a refrigerated container can maintain is from -35 to +30 °C, which allows for the preservation of almost any perishable cargo.

A refrigerated container requires electrical power. On ships and in warehouses, they are connected to the grid; other types of transport may require the use of a diesel generator. The network must be three-phase with a frequency of 50Hz and a voltage of 380V.

Refrigerated containers come in 20, 40, and 45-foot sizes. The most commonly used are 20 and 40-foot containers. The maximum payload of a 20-foot refrigerated container is 22 tons, and for a 40-foot container, it is 28 tons. They can hold 10 and 23 Euro pallets, respectively.

Cost of rail transport using refrigerated containers

The cost of transporting cargo in a refrigerated container will depend on the distance, weight, and volume of the cargo being transported, as well as the specific type of container chosen. If the transport is international, customs transit fees will be added to the cost. For companies that regularly ship cargo in refrigerated containers, it makes sense not to order a container for each shipment but to rent it for a certain period. This will reduce the cost of a single shipment. There are rental offers for containers on the market, and you can rent them in the quantity you need.