Russian Railways (RZD) will resume international passenger train service between Russia and China on March 8, 2026, ending a halt that has been in place since February 2020, when the crossing was shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to an RZD announcement on February 13, train No. 354/353 will operate on the Zabaikalsk–Manzhouli route twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, with a journey time of approximately 25 minutes. The service will be operated by the Federal Passenger Company, RZD’s passenger subsidiary.
The March 8 launch will also mark the first time through-carriage service — where passengers remain in their carriage as it is transferred between trains at a junction — has been established from Irkutsk directly to China. Through carriages from Irkutsk and Chita will be attached to domestic train No. 328/327 departing on March 6 and 7 respectively, connecting to the international service at Zabaikalsk. Tickets will go on sale shortly, with bookings available up to 60 days in advance once the full schedule is in effect.
The Zabaikalsk–Manzhouli crossing sits on the Trans-Manchurian Railway, a historic branch of the Trans-Siberian network that has linked Russia and northeastern China since the early twentieth century. It is one of only three direct rail connections between the two countries’ networks. A notable operational feature of the crossing is a break of gauge — Russian railways use a 1,520 mm broad-gauge track width versus China’s standard 1,435 mm — requiring carriages to have their bogies swapped at the border. A dedicated bogie exchange facility operates at Zabaikalsk for this purpose.
The Zabaikalsk corridor has remained active for freight throughout the pandemic years. RZD completed the full electrification of the 365 km line from Karymskaya to Zabaikalsk in 2021, finishing the final 117 km Borzya–Zabaikalsk section last, with Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev describing the checkpoint as “the largest railway checkpoint on the Russian-Chinese border.” In May 2024, RZD and China Railway signed a strategic cooperation agreement during President Putin’s visit to Beijing, committing to build a second main rail line at the Zabaikalsk–Manzhouli crossing to ease congestion and expand bilateral freight capacity.
The resumption of passenger service is not isolated. Russia had already restored rail links with China and North Korea in December 2024, when trains on the Suifenhe–Grodekovo route in Primorsky Krai and the Tumangang–Khasan route resumed after the same 2020 suspension. RZD also noted in its announcement that China introduced a visa-free regime for Russian citizens in September 2025, which has driven growing interest in rail travel to China as an affordable and accessible option.
