Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying a deal to construct a second standard-gauge railway track at a major border crossing with China. The move, confirmed via a document on Russia’s official legislative information portal on Monday, follows an agreement reached during Putin's visit to China in May.
The project involves the joint construction of a new track along the cross-border railway connecting Zabaikalsk in southeastern Russia and Manzhouli in northern China. Unlike Russia’s domestic rail network, which primarily uses a 1,520mm gauge, the new track will use the 1,435mm standard gauge used by China.
Li Lifan, an expert on Russia and Central Asia at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, stated the second track would ease cargo volume constraints, reduce freight train waiting times, and improve the speed and reliability of services along the eastern corridor. Currently, China-Russia rail freight—which accounts for more than 60 per cent of China’s rail trade with Russia—uses a single 1,435mm-gauge track at the Manzhouli-Zabaikalsk crossing. Because trains traveling in opposite directions must take turns, periodic bottlenecks occur.
Zoey Wang, director of corporates, infrastructure and project finance ratings at Fitch Ratings, said the project is expected to provide more stable transport conditions for two-way shipments of commodities, machinery, electrical products, consumer goods, and cross-border e-commerce cargo. She added that it would make shipping schedules more predictable for businesses and help cut costs linked to delays, cargo hold-ups, and supply chain disruptions.
Russian media reported that Moscow expects the second track to increase annual capacity at the Zabaikalsk crossing to 39 million tonnes by 2030, an increase of 11 million tonnes from current levels.
While Russia has redirected trade toward Asia due to Western sanctions, experts cautioned that the new track might not automatically lead to a significant increase in trade volumes. Li Lifan noted that growth would be limited by inland Russian infrastructure, as cargo must still be transferred to 1,520mm-gauge wagons for transport within Russia. Li described the move as a pragmatic trade-off as Russia's eastward pivot enters its delivery phase, noting that Moscow judged the benefits of easing bottlenecks outweighed the costs of maintaining procedural barriers.
Li also suggested the timing of the signing—ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen later this month—was deliberate to demonstrate Russia's ability to deliver on commitments to Beijing and establish a replicable precedent.
Zhao Long, director of the Institute for International Strategic and Security Studies at Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said the move reflects a depth of strategic trust between the two nations. He stated there is no longer a real reason for Russia to resist laying standard-gauge track on select feeder lines, especially along critical border sections, and noted it reflects the magnetic pull of China’s economic and connectivity networks across Eurasia.
Wang noted the project shows how China’s railway technical standards are finding broader international application but cautioned that actual impact depends on freight rates, customs coordination, European demand, regulatory policies, and operating conditions.
Russian media reported that construction on the Russian side has already begun and is expected to be finished by the end of 2026, with the Chinese section scheduled for completion in early 2027.
