From the middle of the 19th Century, the need to both culturally and logistically unify the whole of Russia (not to mention more effectively exploit the natural riches of Siberia) led Tsar Alexander III to the idea of a great railway linking Moscow to the distant Pacific port of Vladivostok. The growing presence of European nations in the Far East along with rising strength of Asia’s own power centers, made the railway’s construction through Russia’s somewhat unguarded eastern reaches a national security concern as well.

Ground was broken on the railroad in 1891, with Tsarevich Nicholas II (who would succeed his father just three years later) laying the first stone in Vladivostok to symbolically begin construction. Work on the railroad proceeded from each end point (Moscow and Vladivostok) as well as in multiple sections along the route, with existing railways being linked with new tracks, and completely new connections being carved into the Siberian wilderness, often with no more than simple hand tools. The manpower involved reached into the tens of thousands.

The most difficult section was that around Lake Baikal, where a combination of terrain, climate and distance made work slow and supplies difficult to bring in. With this final section still struggling to completion, the notion of a shorter, more direct route through the northern Chinese region of Manchuria began to be proposed. Not only would it shave a significant distance off the route passing only through Russian territory, but it would give Russia a foothold in China to increase its regional influence.

With a concession from the Chinese government, Russia extended a spur from the Trans-Siberian railway at Chita, just over 400 km east of Lake Baikal. As with the main line, construction was to be handled in multiple sections built simultaneously. The sleepy village of Harbin was selected as the hub for construction, from which lines were built heading east to Vladivostok and west to join with the line from Chita.

After the line was completed in 1902, the railway created an economic boom for the formerly remote and quiet villages of Manchuria. Harbin, particularly, saw explosive growth, in no small part due to an additional spur line that cut south from the town to China’s capital, Beijing and on to the distant city of Port Arthur (now Dalian). Harbin remains a significant and prosperous industrial city to this day.

At the beginning of the Trans-Manchurian railway, a trip on this Russia – China train took 13 days to reach Beijing, or a full two weeks to make it all the way to Port Arthur. A ticket for the full distance cost from 64 rubles for Third Class to as high as 272 rubles for First Class.

But the railroad was beset with problems virtually from the start. The Japanese took Port Arthur by surprise in 1904, starting a war with Russia that would barely last a year before Russia’s war effort collapsed in defeat and humiliation – and the railway’s inability to keep up with the needs of wartime logistics played a part in that (doubly humiliating, since defense had been one of the justifications for building the railway in the first place). After the war, the Japanese kept control of Port Arthur and the entire southern spur of the railway (Harbin to Port Arthur), greatly weakening Russian influence in the country.

In 1924, Russia surrendered its territorial claims in northern China, though they continued to jointly manage the railroad with the Chinese government. This arrangement ran until 1929, when a Chinese takeover of the railway again led to war. This Sino-Soviet conflict lasted only about five months before the Soviet Union’s victory reinstituted the original joint ownership. The railway was sold to Japan in 1931 in place of yet another military conflict, and while Russia regained control of it at the end of World War II, Josef Stalin surrendered the railway to China without condition in 1952.

And while the railway sections passing through China are now more commonly known in the country as the Chinese Eastern Railway, the original name, the Trans-Manchurian Railway, is still used proudly in Russia. The travel time has been cut in half, with now only a 6-day trip between the Russian and Chinese capitals.

The train on the Trans-Manchurian railway, called the Vostok, is still not as modern or fast as high-speed trains like the Allegro. Nor does it offer the rich amenities of the Grand Express, though it has been updated a number of times over the years. Showers are still not available on board, generally, and travelers are usually advised to include stops along the route in their itinerary for such personal care and for resupplying.

However, the Trans-Manchurian still provides an unforgettable experience, with a journey from Russia’s forests through Siberia’s taiga through the plains of Northern China, and from the domes of European Russia to Beijing’s Great Wall and Forbidden City. The Vostok departs once a week from Moscow’s Yaroslavsky station, while a Beijing – Moscow train departs from the city’s main station at the same time.

A Historic Route

From its beginnings as a combination of national interest and imperialist ambition, through military and political conflict, and from its past as a fountain of prosperity to its present as a rich, unforgettable experience for travelers, the Trans-Manchurian railway has shaped the course of both Russia and China in its century-plus of existence. And the story of that existence is a fascinating window into Russian history.

The Trans-Manchurian railway was born of two national concerns. On the one hand, Tsar Alexander III recognized the need to better unify his sprawling country, as well as more easily access the vast resources of Siberia. On the other, Western European powers were becoming increasingly involved in Asia, posing a security threat to Russia’s eastern territory that was thousands of kilometers from the nation’s seat of power (not to mention the bulk of its defensive forces).

So, in 1891, construction began on the Trans-Siberian railway, an ambitious national project which would connect Moscow with the distant Pacific port of Vladivostok. Construction would take 25 years, cost over a billion rubles and involve tens of thousands of workers laying as much as 600 kilometers of track a year.

However, as the project wore on, especially in the Lake Baikal region where construction ran the slowest and most expensive due to the terrain, a tantalizing option came into view. Instead of the curving route through Russian territory, what if there could be a shortcut through the northern lip of the Chinese region of Manchuria, which rose like a wedge between Vladivostok and the rest of Russia? Not only would this shorten the route by over 500 kilometers, but it could also link Russia with its neighbor with a southern spur line allowing for a Moscow to Beijing train.

Toward this end, in 1898 Russia seized the city of Port Arthur on the Liaodong Peninsula and “persuaded” China’s Qing dynasty to give them control of the territory in a treaty that also created a secret alliance against Japan. This gave Russia a vital Pacific port, and a Southern Manchurian extension was to run from the main Trans-Manchurian line to Port Arthur and the Chinese capital in Beijing from a central hub in a small village called Harbin.

From that central hub, the railroad ran west to the Russian city of Chita and east to Vladivostok, with a southern branch reaching down to Port Arthur and Beijing. Sleepy villages all along these routes would flourish, growing into major cities over a span of just a few years and rich with Russian immigrants and tourists alike.

But Russia’s claim on Manchuria was disputed by another regional power – Japan. In 1904 the Japanese Navy made a surprise attack on Port Arthur, destroying most of the Russian Far East fleet and seizing the rest. After a remarkable 11 months of resistance, the city ultimately surrendered. The humiliating defeat cost Russia both the city and the Southern Manchurian railway extension, not to mention a sizeable portion of their political influence in the region.

Over the following decades, the railway would become a point of military and political in the region. While Russia renounced it’s claims on Chinese territory in 1924, it retained control of the vital railway. When the Chinese seized it in 1929, Russian troops forced its return. It wouldn’t be until 1952 that the Soviets finally gave full control of the Chinese portion of the railway to the People’s Republic of China.

The modern Trans-Manchurian Railway, also called the Chinese-Eastern Railway, still runs largely the original route, though the travel time has been cut by more than half, to only 6 days. It still gives tourists a spectacular view of the steppes of China, as well as the historic cities that grew from the original railway. Some of these have contracted from their “Golden Age” of the railway, though the signs of the earlier time, including many of the historic railway stations, can still be found.

Every Tuesday the eastbound train – the Vostok (Russian for “East”) departs Moscow at Yaroslavsky station for the almost 9000 kilometer run to Beijing. There is a Beijing to Moscow train which departs from the Chinese capital’s main city at the same time. While they are neither the most luxurious or modern trains on the Trans-Siberian, the route offers many stops for basic amenities (and an occasional shower) at cities along the way – and an unparalleled experience for intrepid travelers wishing to see the two capitals.