Longest passenger railway connecting Russia, NE China opens

An 866-kilometer-long passenger railway connecting Changchun in northeast China's Jilin Province and Vladivostok in Russia officially opened on Nov. 26, making it the longest transportation route between northeast China and Russia. It will help promote the trade and tourism cooperation between areas of both countries along the way.

The railway is 574 kilometers long in China and 292 kilometers long in Russia. With a travel time of about 16 hours and 30 minutes, the train stops at China's Changchun, Hunchun, and Hunchun Port, Russia's Kraskino Port and Vladivostok, as well as some other places in both countries. The train will operate a round trip twice a week during the initial stage, on Mondays and Saturdays respectively, and its frequency will be adjusted according to the number of passengers in the future.

Vladivostok, which is located at the border area among Russia, China, and North Korea, is Russia's largest port city on the Pacific Ocean and is one of the earliest Russian cities to conduct cross-border barter trade with China. A large number of Chinese businessmen used to go to Russia to exchange Russian commodities, such as razors and telescopes, with Chinese commodities, such as clothing and cosmetics.

There is a long border between northeastern China and the Russian Far East, in the areas of which the economic and trade ties between the two countries are also the most robust. Particularly, the
"Outline on Cooperative Development Plan between China's Northeast Region and the Russian Far East" issued by the governments of the two countries in 2009 has injected new energy into the economic cooperation between northeastern China and the Russian Far East.

Yu Tiejun, director of the International Land Transportation Management Department of Jilin Provincial Transportation Bureau, said that the passenger railway line from Changchun to Vladivostok will become a major portal for the opening of northeastern China to Northeast Asia. It will also play a positive role in advancing the development of economic, trade and tourism sectors in areas along the railway line.

Yu said that after the passenger line is put into operation, Jilin Province will persuade the Russian side to open freight lines and eventually build an international land and sea transportation channel connecting Mongolia westwards as well as Japan and South Korea eastwards.

By People's Daily Online