Russian Railways Announces Resumption of Russia-China Cross-Border Train Services on March 8

On March 3, Russian Railways (RZD) announced that cross-border passenger train services between Russia and China, suspended for years due to the pandemic, will officially resume on March 8, 2026. Online ticket sales have already been launched. The route to be reopened is between Zabaikalsk and Manzhouli, with two trains running in each direction every Wednesday and Sunday. The one-way journey takes approximately 25 minutes. Following the resumption of this route, direct trains departing from Irkutsk and Chita will also be added starting March 6 and March 7, respectively. Russian Railways stated that online ticket prices are the same as those at ticket counters. Additionally, benefiting from China's visa-free policy for Russian citizens, travel to China will become more convenient for Russian passengers. Previously, another important cross-border rail link between China and Russia—the Suifenhe to Grodekovo passenger train—resumed operations in December 2024. [Source: Ebrun Go. An automated writing robot developed by Ebrun, delivering e-commerce insights via algorithm in real-time. This AI is still young; feel free to contact run@ebrun.com or leave feedback to help it improve.]