LLC "Moscow Trans Construction Corporation" has developed a feasibility study (FS) for the project to create the Priargunsky (Russia) – Heishantou (China) railway border crossing.

The creation of a new railway border crossing is under the supervision of the Russian Government. According to the Ministry of Planning and Development of the Zabaikalsky Krai, LLC "Moscow Trans Construction Corporation" has developed the FS for the crossing and the corresponding infrastructure, connecting the Zabaikalsk Railway with the adjacent Harbin Railway crossing point (China).

The project requires the construction of not only the railway infrastructure at the crossing point and the new border station, but also a bridge crossing, as noted by Andrey Tikhomirov, Head of the Center for Macroeconomics and Forecasting Methodology at the Institute for Transport Economics and Development (IEDT). According to him, the project could be implemented using a concession mechanism.

Similar plans exist for the construction of new railway infrastructure on Chinese territory as well.

According to Andrey Tikhomirov, in accordance with China's medium- and long-term railway network development plans until 2025 and into 2030, a new railway line from Hailar to Heishantou is planned to be built, extending from the existing infrastructure toward the Russian-Chinese border. "Specific start and end dates for the project are yet to be determined," he emphasized.

To ensure the potential cargo volumes heading toward the planned railway border crossing, infrastructure development on the Eastern Polygon of Russian Railways' network along the potential cargo routes will be required.

The prospective cargo base of the project is estimated to be around 18 million tons.

"The primary cargo volume for this project is expected to be coal from deposits in the Zabaikalsky Krai. Smaller volumes will include products from mining and coal industries located in Western Siberia (Kemerovo Oblast and Krasnoyarsk Krai)," Andrey Tikhomirov believes.

Source: Gudok.