The Zabaykalsky Krai is attracting investments

As the Zabaykalsky Krai’s rail infrastructure is undergoing rapid modernization, new crossing points and a network of logistics centers is currently on the agenda. These topics were discussed on Transport Week at the “Developing the Zabaykalsky Krai’s transport and logistics infrastructure by way of public-private partnership mechanisms” breakfast meeting.

The region’s potential 

The Zabaykalsky Krai has huge logistics potential since it features an extensive railway and automobile road network and nine crossing points at the Mongolian and Chinese borders, eight of which are overland. “The overall cargo turnover on the overland section of the state border, through all PRC border crossing points is currently at around 30 million tons a year,” Mikhail Kokaev noted, Director of the Russian Ministry of Transport’s Department of state border crossing points establishment policy. 

The region’s authorities say that investors are confirming the need for 67 million tons of cargo to be able to be transferred across Zabaykalsky Krai border crossing points.

“Just from a few simple solutions, a volume of 85 million tons of overall cargo turnover volume could be achieved. These solutions are currently being worked out together with the Russian Ministry of Transport,” Zabaykalsky Krai governor Aleksandr Osipov announced. 

By “simple solutions” the governor effectively meant border crossing point modernization. 

Projects and solutions 

The region features the Zabaykalsk–Manzhouli ITC, the Priargunsk–Heishantou ITC, and the Solovyovsk railroad crossing point (RRCP), Alesksandr Osipov noted. The busiest of them is the Zabaykalsk RRCP, with a cargo turnover as high as 17.9 million tons a year. “Today’s conditions seem to be just the perfect moment for creating another major railroad crossing,” he stated.

By 2026, the modernization project of the vehicle crossing point at the Priargunsk–Heishantou corridor will mean a five-fold increase in its crossing capacity. Discussions between China and the Russian Ministry of Transport on building a railroad crossing point there are currently ongoing. “It is 7 km from the Russian Railways to the border. We are now considering highway projects 16 to 21 km long, which will enable us and our Chinese counterparts to connect our railways,” Aleksandr Osipov said. 

Gazprombank First Vice President Aleksei Chichkanov has presented a project for the Zabaykalsky Krai’s multimodal logistic hub to be created based on a concession scheme. The project may be implemented in two stages: establishing a logistics center on the perimeter of the international advanced special economic zone in Chita and Zabaykalsk, as well as terminals around the Borzya station. Furthermore, plans are in place for an export bulk cargo containerization terminal to be built.

“FESCO Group is developing a project to build a rail container terminal in Zabaykalsk to handle 150 thousand TEU a year at the first stage. This entails building temporary storage warehouses and other transport infrastructure. This project is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2025. Investments are expected to amount to around 4 – 4.5 billion rubles,” FESCO Group Vice President Sergei Sidorov explained. “The terminal’s development in Zabaykalsky Krai will allow for a 40% rise in the number of containers imported from China to the Russian Federation. In monetary terms, that’s over 5 billion dollars’ worth of imports.”

“Commercial, operational, and technological solutions will serve as a further impulse to boost these infrastructural projects’ efficiency, such as: balancing export and import cargo flows, empty mileage reduction, and joint planning,” Deputy Director General of Russian Railways Business Assets Ivan Bodnar told Gudok. 

Olga Shelkova 

Source: Gudok