Trans-Siberian Railway Harbin–Manzhouli railway, abbreviated as the Binzhou Railway (), is a double-track electrified trunk railway in Northeast China between Harbin and Manzhouli on the Russian border, where it connects to the Trans-Siberian Railway via Zabaikalsk, Russia.

The Binzhou railway begins in the west at Manzhouli and runs eastward across the Hulunbuir grasslands, through the forests of the Greater Khingan range, the oilfields of Daqing, and the rich farmland of the Songhua River valley to Harbin. Major cities and towns along route include Manzhouli, Jalainur, Hailar, Dayan, Yakeshi, and Zhalantun in Inner Mongolia, as well as Qiqihar, Daqing, Anda, Zhaodong, and Harbin in Heilongjiang.

This line has the only station in all of China whose name is a single character: Song railway station (宋), which makes it a popular location amongst Chinese railfans.

History The Qing government's special envoy Li Hongzhang went to Russia to congratulate Tsar Nicholas II on his coronation, and signed the Sino–Russian Secret Treaty on June 3, 1896; amongst other things, this treaty gave Russia the right to build a railway through northeast China - the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). Harbin was selected to be the hub of the new railway system, with three Russian-gauge lines envisioned heading east, west, and south from Harbin. Work on the western branch from Harbin to the Russian border at Manzhouli, then named the Haman Railway, commenced at both ends in June 1898, and was completed in 1902.(Chinese) 滨洲铁路简介 Accessed 2011-01-31 The eastern branch of the CER ran from Harbin to Suifenhe. The entire CER served as an alternative route to the Trans-Siberian Railway.

The CER was a joint project of China and Russia, and after the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese took over the southern portion of the CER, forming the South Manchuria Railway, with the northern portions remaining under Sino-Russian control. Following the October Revolution, the railway was controlled by White Russians for a time during the Russian Civil War, but from 1917 the government of the Republic of China began taking more control of the railway to itself, until in 1922 the CER was made officially a Sino-Soviet joint enterprise. However, in 1929 the Chinese seized complete control of the CER, storming the Soviet consulate in Harbin and arresting the officials of the CER. This led to the Sino-Soviet conflict of 1929, in which the Soviets quickly defeated the Chinese army and forced the Chinese to once again accept joint control of the railway. After the Mukden Incident, the Soviets retained control over the railway despite the Japanese occupation of northeastern China; after the establishment of Manchukuo in 1932, the CER became a joint Soviet-Manchukuo enterprise called the "North Manchuria Railway". In March 1935, the government of Manchukuo bought the Soviet share of the NMR for 140 million yen, and the entire network was taken over by the Manchukuo National Railway.

After the Manchukuo National took over the NMR network, it changed the name of the Harbin–Manzhouli railway from Haman Railway to Binzhou Line, and on 1 August 1936, conversion of the line from Russian broad gauge to standard gauge was completed, increasing the operating speed to .

After the Soviet invasion of Manchuria and the subsequent collapse of Manchukuo, the Soviets once again took control of the region's railways, and converted the Binzhou Line back to Russian gauge; in 1946, the Northeast Democratic Coalition seized control of the line, and once again regauged it. After the creation of the People's Republic of China, the railways in the territory of the former Manchukuo were taken over by a new Sino-Soviet joint enterprise, called the China Changchun Railway. Full control of the China Changchun Railway was to be turned over to the PRC on 31 December 1952, but due to the Korean War this was delayed until 1955.(Chinese) "哈尔滨铁路的百年历史发展" Tieliu Accessed 2011-01-31 The Harbin–Manzhouli line became part of China Railway at that time, and once again renamed, becoming the Binzhou Railway.

The Harbin-Manzhouli line has undergone substantial upgrades over the years. Double-tracking began in 1983, with the Harbin–Anda section being the first section to be completed, in 1985; the entire line was completed in 2007, when the Manzhouli–Hailar section was completed,(Chinese) 滨洲铁路海拉尔至满洲里段复线全线通车 中国铁路网 2007-12-05 increasing the line's capacity sixfold. In 1990, semi-automatic train control was introduced, with DFH3-class diesel locomotives on passenger trains, and DF4B-class diesels and Renmin-class steam locomotives on freight trains. Operating speed on the line was raised to .

The Binzhou Railway Electrification Project was officially started on 25 October 2014. The entire of the line was wired, and 17 new traction substations were built. The first section, from Harbin to Qiqihar, was completed on 3 November 2016; the first electric-hauled train on the line was K7108, pulled by a HXD3D-class locomotive.百年滨洲铁路进入电气化时代 The remaining section from Qiqihar to Manzhouli was energised on 11 December 2017.

The Eastern end of the route was quadruple tracked in 2015 with the opening of the Harbin–Qiqihar intercity railway, dedicated to passenger service, increasing the passenger-carrying capacity of this section.

The original Binzhou Railway Bridge was built in 1901, and was replaced by a new bridge in 2014. The old bridge is now a historical landmark protected by the city of Harbin.(Chinese) "哈尔滨滨洲铁路桥等19处建筑申报全国重点文物保护单位"

Route

Distance Station name Total; km S2S; km Current name Former name Opened Connections 0 0 Harbin哈尔滨 Songhuajiang松花江 1899 Binbei Railway, Jingha Railway, Binsui Railway, Labin Railway, Binbei Railway Songnan松南 (service halt) 5 5 Songbei松北 1899 10 5 Miaotaizi庙台子 1899 Jiangbei Connecting Line Wandong万东 Harbin North哈尔滨北 2015 Dagengjia大耿家 20 Wanle万乐 1899 31 11 Duiqingshan对青山 1900 42 11 Limudian里木店 1900 52 10 Jiangjia姜家 1900 63 11 Zhaodong肇东 1900 Haqi HSR 74 11 Shangjia尚家 1900 84 10 Wulimu五里木 1900 96 12 Song宋 1900 116 20 Yangcao羊草 1900 127 11 Anda安达 1900 Haqi HSR 137 10 Wolitun卧里屯 1944 148 11 Daqing East大庆东 Longfeng龙凤 1960 Haqi HSR 159 11 Daqing大庆 Saertu萨尔图 1902 170 11 Daqing West大庆西 Ranghulu让胡路 Haqi HSR, Tongrang Railway 180 10 Lamadian喇嘛甸 1900 190 10 Qijia齐家 1960 (freight only) 201 11 Gaojia高家 1949 Closed 212 11 Dorbod杜尔伯特 Taikang ()Xiaohaozi ()Малые станции саргассов 1900 Haqi HSR 221 9 Qianhoudai前后代 1960 238 17 Yantongtun烟筒屯 1900 252 14 Houwujia后五家 1960 261 9 Hongqiying红旗营 1949 270 9 Ang'angxi昂昂溪 1900 San'ang Connecting Line, Qi'ang Railway 277 7 Wufu五福 1958 284 7 Fularji富拉尔基 1900 293 9 Hurhula虎尔虎拉 1900 303 10 Heigang黑岗 1947 314 11 Baishanxiang白山乡 1949 323 9 Longjiang龙江 1900 333 10 Laodao老道 1947 Closed 344 11 Luhe鲁河 1947 355 11 Nianzishan碾子山 1901 365 10 Jixinhe吉新河 1950 376 11 Fengrong丰荣 1947 Closed 384 8 Genghis Khan成吉思汗 1901 395 11 Gulijin古里金 1947 406 11 Gaotaizi高台子 1949 416 10 Zhalantun扎兰屯 1901 425 9 Woniuhe卧牛河 1901 435 10 Sandaoqiao三道桥 1901 (passenger only) 446 11 Halasu哈拉苏 1902 456 10 Nanmu南木 1901 467 11 Fulin富林 1901 (passenger only) 478 11 Balin巴林 1901 488 10 Lamashan喇嘛山 1901 498 10 Zigou紫沟 1901 (passenger only) 510 12 Yalu雅鲁 1901 520 10 Qishan旗山 1901 527 7 Goukou沟口 1901 531 4 Jixiangfeng吉祥峰 1987 Closed 539 8 Boketu博克图 BugtБугтъ 1901 546 7 Shali沙力 1987 (passenger only) 547 1 Shangshali上沙力 1990 (freight only) 556 9 Xinnangou新南沟 1901 (passenger only) 564 18 Xing'anling兴安岭 1901 574 10 Yiliekede伊列克得 1901 (freight only) 582 8 Xilingkou西岭口 1901 (passenger only) 592 10 Halagou哈拉沟 1901 (passenger only) 604 12 Wunur乌奴耳 1901 609 5 Sangenhe三根河 1987 Closed 614 5 Wuchuan乌川 1901 Closed 623 9 Beitouhe北头河 1901 (passenger only) 634 12 Mianduhe免渡河 1901 645 11 Xiaobei小北 1901 656 11 Zhuoshan卓山 1901 (freight only) 667 11 Yakeshi牙克石 1901 674 7 Haiman海满 1901 (freight only) 685 11 Dayan大雁, ᠳ‍ᠶ‍‍ᠨ 1901 694 9 Zhaluomude扎罗木得 1901 699 5 Shunhe顺河 1987 Closed 721 22 Hake哈克 1901 730 9 Xiha西哈 1901 Closed 736 6 Hongyuan宏原 1987 Closed 742 6 Hailar East海拉尔东, ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠯᠠᠷ ᠳ‍ᠣ‍‍ᠷ‍ᠨ‍ᠣ‍ 1901 (freight only) 749 7 Hailar海拉尔, ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠯᠠᠷ 1903 760 11 Anyi安邑 1901 Closed 771 11 Daliang大良 1901 (passenger only) 780 9 Wugunor乌固诺尔 1901 789 9 Wulanqiu乌兰丘 1987 (passenger only) 801 12 Donggong东宫 1987 (passenger only) 811 10 Wangong完工 1901 822 11 Doulun Halt都伦乘降所 1901 (passenger only) 833 11 Lingqiu Halt陵丘乘降所 1901 (passenger only) 844 11 He'erhongde赫尔洪得 1901 855 11 Huangde Halt皇德乘降所 1901 (passenger only) 866 11 Haomen Halt豪门乘降所 1987 (passenger only) 874 8 Cuogang嵯岗 1901 885 11 A'ergong阿尔公 1901 Closed 896 11 Hubei Halt湖北乘降所 1901 (passenger only) 906 10 Jalainur扎赉诺尔, ᠵᠠᠯᠠᠢᠳᠨᠠᠭᠤᠷ 1901 912 6 Jalainur West扎赉诺尔西, ᠵᠠᠯᠠᠢᠳᠨᠠᠭᠤᠷ ᠪᠠᠷᠠᠭᠣᠨ 1898 919 7 Donghao Halt东壕乘降所 1898 (passenger only) 927 8 Lubin胪滨 1898 935 8 Manzhouli满洲里, ᠮᠠᠨᠵᠤᠤᠷᠬᠣᠲᠠ ManchzhuriyaМаньчжурия 1901China–Russia border 939 4 ZabaikalskЗабайкальск 1901 Trans-Siberian Railway via Trans-Baikal Railway

References