Afət Ziyadqızı
Passenger train services between Russia and China via the Zabaikalsk–Manzhouli crossing are set to resume on March 8 for the first time since the pandemic, according to the press service of Russian Railways (RZD).
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that travel to Manzhouli from the Irkutsk and Chita stations will be available starting March 6 and 7. Direct carriages will operate as part of the Irkutsk–Zabaikalsk train No. 328/327. This restoration of passenger traffic follows a period of restricted movement and reflects a broader effort to normalize cross-border logistics and tourism between the two nations.
The expansion of transport links follows significant growth in freight connectivity. Last year, the FESCO Transportation Group launched a regular container train from the Chinese city of Wuhu to Moscow via Mongolia. The company noted that the new route aims to expand the geography of land transport between China and Russia. According to the group's statement, the route is managed in cooperation with a Chinese platform company, with trains passing through the Erlian/Zamin-Uud/Naushki border crossings (China/Mongolia/Russia) to reach the Bely Rast station of the Moscow Railway.
The resumption of these rail links is a strategic component of the growing economic partnership between Moscow and Beijing. As both countries seek to strengthen the "Power of Siberia" and "Belt and Road" initiatives, the restoration of passenger and freight corridors serves to bolster regional trade and diplomatic ties. These developments are particularly significant for the Trans-Siberian railway network, which remains a vital artery for Eurasian connectivity.
