China And Russia Advance Plans For Expanded Cross-Border Rail Capacity

China–Russia, September 2026 — China and Russia are considering new railway routes and expanding capacity at existing border crossings as rising bilateral trade increases demand for cross-border freight infrastructure. The initiative forms part of wider efforts to strengthen railway connectivity and reduce logistics bottlenecks between the two markets.

According to Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov, all four existing railway crossings between China and Russia are operating efficiently, with current efforts focused on upgrading infrastructure and increasing their capacity. He also said railway freight between the two countries is expected to reach a record level in 2026, driven by demand for raw materials and other goods.

Freight traffic on Russia’s railway network reached 114 million tonnes in the first seven months of 2026, representing a 6 percent year-on-year increase. Container traffic rose by 12.5 percent to 2.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units during the same period, while bilateral trade between China and Russia reached $159.24 billion, up 26.3 percent year on year.

Infrastructure expansion is already being pursued at the Manzhouli–Zabaikalsk crossing. China and Russia agreed in May to jointly construct a second 1,435-millimetre-gauge main track on the cross-border section. Russian authorities estimate that the project could increase the crossing’s capacity by 11 million tonnes by 2030 and enable the exchange of nearly 50 pairs of trains per day.

Potential new connections are also entering the planning stage. Heilongjiang Province’s 15th Five-Year Plan calls for preliminary work on a proposed Heihe–Blagoveshchensk railway, alongside upgrades at other border railway ports including Suifenhe and Tongjiang. The developments reflect a broader shift towards expanding rail infrastructure in line with growing China–Russia trade and strengthening long-term Eurasian logistics corridors.

Source: Global Times