Trans-Mongolian Railway

Trans-Mongolian Railway
Trans-Mongolian Railway in the Gobi Desert
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleNorth and East Asia
Termini
Stations62
Service
ServicesChina Railway K3/4 (BeijingMoscow)
Operator(s)Russian Railways, UBTZ, China Railway
History
Commenced1937
Opened1949 (Russia to Ulaanbaatar)
1956 (Ulaanbaatar to China)
Technical
Line length2,215 km (1,376 mi)
Number of tracksMostly single, significant sections of double
CharacterInternational rail link
Track gauge1,520 mm (4 ft 11+2732 in) (in Russia and Mongolia)
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) (in China)
ElectrificationNone, plans to electrify at 25 kV AC
Operating speed100 km/h (62 mph)
Route map

km
5,642
Ulan-Ude
Zaudinskiy
5,677
Sayantuy
5,690
Ganzurino
5,732
Ubukun
Sulfat
5,769
Zagustay
5,780
Gusinoye Ozero
5,827
Selenduma
5,852
Dzhida
Khuzhir
5,895
Naushki
5,900
Russia
Mongolia
border
21
Sükhbaatar
123
Darkhan
232
Züünkharaa
to Biokombinat
404
Ulaanbaatar
507
Bagakhangai
521
Manit
649
Choir
751
Airag
876
Sainshand
1,113
Zamyn-Üüd
0,842
Erenhot
0,000
to Manglai
Sonid Right Banner
Qahar Right Rear Banner
0,000
498
Jining
0,000
0,415
Fengzhen
371
Datong
193
Zhangjiakou
99
0
Beijing
Source[1]

The Trans-Mongolian Railway (Mongolian: Транс-Монголын төмөр зам, Trans-Mongolyn tömör zam) connects Ulan-Ude on the Trans-Siberian Railway in Buryatia, Russia, with Ulanqab in Inner Mongolia, China, via Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. It was completed in 1956, and runs from northwest to southeast with major stations at Naushki/Sükhbaatar on the Russian border, Darkhan, Züünkharaa, Choir, Sainshand, and Zamyn-Üüd/Erenhot on the Chinese border, where the railway changes from single-track to double-track and its gauge changes from 1,520 mm Russian gauge to 1,435 mm standard gauge. The railway also has important branch lines to Erdenet and Baganuur.

  1. ^ Thomas, Bryn (2011). Trans-Siberian Handbook (8th ed.). Trailblazer. pp. 451–460. ISBN 978-1-905864-36-2.