Trans-Altai Railway Plan: Russia Seeks Direct Freight Link with China

Russia is advancing plans for a Trans-Altai railway to establish direct freight service with China via the Altai Mountains. This new route, designated as part of the "New Middle Transport Corridor," aims to offer a crucial alternative to existing maritime shipping and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM) that currently transits through Kazakhstan. A New Corridor to Bypass Existing Bottlenecks The TMTM, operational since 2017 and connecting Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, handled 4.12 million tons of cargo in 2025, including 77,000 TEUs. Projections aim to boost this corridor's capacity to 10 million tons by 2027. The proposed Trans-Altai railway presents Moscow with a strategic opportunity to diversify its transit options and reduce reliance on established routes. Technical Details and Capacity Projections Engineers are evaluating four potential alignments for the railway. All proposed routes converge on the Chinese station Avaytan. Starting points under consideration within Russia include Biysk, Tashtagol, or Abaza. The total railway length is estimated to span between 825 and 1,123 kilometers, with 228 kilometers traversing Chinese territory. The projected annual capacity is pegged at 30 million tons. Discussions are also underway regarding the possibility of constructing sections on elevated structures, or overpasses.