On 28 October 2026, Russia’s Federation Council approved the law ratifying the Russian–Chinese agreement on construction of a second main track on the cross-border Zabaikalsk–Manzhouli railway section.
The agreement, signed in Beijing on 20 May 2026, provides for a 1,435 mm gauge track, using the Chinese standard, on the cross-border section. It sets out cooperation principles, construction coordination and management arrangements, and the boundaries of the closed construction zone. Russia’s government submitted the agreement to the State Duma for ratification.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Transport, implementation could increase the crossing’s annual carrying capacity from 28 million to 39 million tonnes by 2030. This is a projected construction outcome, rather than freight volume already achieved. The additional track is intended to expand cargo handover and handling capacity at the Russian–Chinese border.
The presented schedule envisages completion of work on the Russian side by the end of 2026 and on the Chinese side in early 2027. These remain planned milestones. The upper chamber’s decision concerns approval of the ratification law; it does not itself mean that construction is complete or that the second track has entered service.