Russia and China are planning to build a driverless cross-border container rail system in the Far East. The countries are jointly developing the necessary tech under official supervision. However, they want private investors to fund it all.
Local sources say that the system will cost the equivalent of over €200 million (22 billion rubles). No timeframe is mentioned for its implementation.
The system should connect the Zabaykalskiy region of Russia and China’s Inner Mongolia at the Starotsuruhaitui-Heishantou automobile border crossing. A rail crossing will be established there, even if building new ones from scratch has proven to be costly.
The technology will take the form of an “intelligent and completely automated system of container rail freight movement.” It will feature electric traction on dedicated infrastructure.
Throughput capacity is intended to be 10 million tonnes annually, with a possibility of doubling that figure. China and Russia expect that the system will speed up customers and logistics procedures. Traffic management will take place through a joint centre.
CRRC is involved
Private parties from both countries should cover the €200+ million expense with a 50/50 split. From the Chinese side, rolling stock corporation CRRC will participate in the development of the technology. From the Russian side, the Zabaykalskiy region, the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation and Mosstroytrans will take part in the development.
“By implementing the project to create an unmanned cross-border container transport system between Russia and China, we’re not just gaining modern cross-border logistics but becoming the first region to implement international-level unmanned technologies”, commented the Zabaykalskiy region’s governor Alexander Osipov. “The project will provide a powerful impetus to the development of border areas, create new jobs, and dramatically increase the capacity of our transport corridors”.
More rail freight projects
Russia has been working to boost its transport capacity to and from China since the breakdown of trade with Europe. To that end, it is also building a new road-rail logistics facility in another Far East region. It will be built on the Chinese border near Lesozavodsk.
The railway terminal will include a container terminal with a customs control zone, a universal loading and unloading area, a gas loading zone for liquefied petroleum gases and railway dead ends according to local media. The project with a value of around €28 million is expected to be completed by 2030.