Trains between China and Mongolia

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This is definitively the best part of the Tans-Mongolian Train Journey. You will cross the Gobi Desert during daytime. Before arriving in Beijing, you will have the chance to have a glimpse of the Great Wall.

Gauges on the Mongolian (and Russian) railway are different from the Chinese gauges. While Mongolian trains run on the Russian broad gauge (1520 mm), China uses the standard gauge (1435 mm). For this reason through carriages between the two countries must have their wheels changed at the border. Each carriage has to be lifted in turn to have its bogies changed and the whole operation, combined with passport and customs control, can take several hours.

Railway development came late to Mongolia. Construction of the Trans-Mongolian line began in 1947, reaching Ulan Bator from the north in 1950 and the Chinese border in 1955. Before that the only railways in Mongolia had been a 43-km line (opened in 1938) connecting the coal mines at Nalaikh to the capital.

The Train Time Table for Trains between China and Mongolia

Train #23 Beijing to Ulaanbaatar departs on Saturday until 27th May 2009 and is run by Mongolian Railways. From 7th June 2009 train #23 switches departure to Monday and is run by Mongolian railways. Chinese Railways will operate an extra service departing Beijing on Tuesdays during the peak summer months and returning from Ulaanbaatar on Friday (probably until 20 October 2009).

Train #24 Ulaanbaatar to Beijing departs on Thursdays year round and is run by Chinese Railways until 28th May 2008. After this date it is run by Mongolian railways. Chinese Railways will operate an extra service departing Ulaanbaatar on Fridays during the peak summer months (probably until 20 October 2009).

Stopovers on the train from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing

• Ulaanbaatar

• Zamiin-Udee

• Erlian

• Beijing

Stopovers on the train from Beijing to Ulaanbataar

• Beijing

• Erlian

• Zamiin-Ude

• Ulaanbaatar

Bus Service between Ulaanbaatar and Beijing