Russia has finally come to its senses! Russia has agreed to construct a new cross-border railway line with China using standard gauge tracks, conforming to China’s domestic standard. On November 2, according to domestic media reports, Russian President Putin signed a legal document approving an agreement between Russia and China on jointly building a railway. The most significant aspect of this development is Russia’s acceptance of the 1,435-millimeter standard gauge for the segment connecting Post-Baikal to Manzhouli. Although this section spans only 9.5 kilometers, negotiations over it have taken considerable time.
Those familiar with Sino-Russian border crossings know that Russia’s traditional rail system operates on a broad gauge of 1,520 millimeters. For a long time, Russian authorities have been cautious about constructing standard gauge lines within their territory. Concerns include the operational, maintenance, and rolling stock compatibility costs associated with maintaining two different track gauges simultaneously. Another key consideration has been Russia’s reluctance toward allowing foreign trains to penetrate deeply into its Far Eastern regions. Why, then, has Russia reversed course and abandoned its insistence on broad gauge?
The fundamental driver lies in the continuous growth of trade volume across the Sino-Russian border, which has increasingly exposed structural bottlenecks. Take Manzhouli alone: as the primary land port between China and Russia, bilateral trade through the port reached 135.78 billion yuan in the first half of 2026—a year-on-year increase of 42.9%, significantly outpacing overall trade growth between the two countries. This surge in trade has pushed the railway transshipment facilities at Manzhouli to near full capacity, making the transshipment process the most significant constraint on bilateral trade. Clearly, removing this bottleneck has become imperative.
Meanwhile, Russia has shown renewed interest in opening up its eastern regions and leveraging the Asia-Pacific market to stabilize external demand. In light of these broader considerations, Moscow has adjusted its position. From Russia’s perspective, this solution represents a pragmatic compromise. The new standard gauge line will terminate at the Post-Baikal border station and will not extend along the Trans-Siberian Railway into deeper Russian territory. Thus, the concerns about foreign access to inland regions are effectively mitigated, while substantial improvements in freight capacity and reduced waiting times are achieved. It is evident that this arrangement benefits both sides.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880754382627851/
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