New Russian Rail Digital Container Terminal To China Being Constructed

Russian Railways are to build another railway container terminal on the border with China at the Zabaikalsk / Manzhouli border checkpoint, according to the Russian Far East and Arctic Development Corporation. It will be able to process up to 250,000 digital containers (DFE) per year and will contribute to the increase in cargo flows on the West-East transport corridor. The project is being implemented within the framework of the Territory of Advanced Development (TOP) mechanism, which provides for a number of benefits and administrative preferences for the company.

An agreement on expanding the logistics infrastructure in the area at the Zabaikalsk / Manzhouli railway border crossing was signed between the Arctic Development Corporation and Russian Railways during the Eastern Economic Forum in 2024. The Manzhouli route is in China’s Inner Mongolia province and has direct connectivity to Harbin and Beijing. It is the largest railway artery between Russia and China.

In order to implement this project, the boundaries of the Trans-Baikal Territory were expanded, the mechanism of which grants the right to apply customs, tax and other benefits.

Dina Arkhipenko, Director of the Trans-Baikal Territory, stated that “Awarding the project the status of a resident of the Trans-Baikal Territory became a continuation of our cooperation and interaction in order to develop the logistical and economic potential of both the Trans-Baikal Territory and the entire Far East, as well as the country as a whole. We provide support to the investor at all stages of the project implementation, ensure the application of tax incentives and administrative preferences, reimbursement of part of the costs aimed at creating infrastructure.”

The total volume of investment is estimated at ₽12 billion (US$122 million).