Freight trains assigned to operate between Harbin city in China’s northernmost Heilongjiang province and destinations in Russia recently received official operation approval.

The trains will embark from Harbin’s Xinxiangfang Railway Station and clear customs at Manzhouli land port in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region or Suifenhe port in Heilongjiang province before heading to various freight destinations across Russia.

They will be operated by Harbin Russian Express Technology and Trade Co.

As an important cross-border logistics company in the Harbin area of the China (Pilot) Heilongjiang Free Trade Zone (Harbin FTZ), the Harbin-based company has established border warehouses in Manzhouli and Suifenhe cities in China, as well as in Zabaikal, Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk in Russia.

The company’s managers have stated that a total of 100 trains are scheduled to operate in 2021.

Operation of the Harbin-Russia freight trains is expected to save logistics costs and reduce transportation time for foreign trade enterprises in Harbin FTZ. It will help enterprises explore the Russian market and achieve diversified development.

It will also play an essential role in attracting more high-quality foreign trade enterprises to settle in the Harbin FTZ, promote the agglomeration of export-oriented industries, and enhance the convenience of foreign trade in the free trade zone.