On the morning of June 13, 2026, in the Gobi hinterland of Ganqimaodu Port in Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia, with the precise placement of the last prestressed concrete T-beam weighing hundreds of tons, all 94 T-beams of the second cross-border railway between China and Mongolia, the Ganqimaodu to Gashusu Sea Map Railway, constructed by China Railway Construction Bridge Bureau, were erected in China. The mechanical roar of the construction site gradually subsided, and the builders welcomed this critical node.

Connect the China Mongolia Energy Corridor

The Ganqimaodu Gashusu Haitu Railway is the second cross-border railway built by China and Mongolia after nearly 70 years, following the opening of the Erenhot Zamyn Uud Railway in 1956.

The project departs from the Ganqimaodu Port in China and connects to the Gashusu Sea Map Station in South Gobi Province via the Gashusu Sea Map Port in Mongolia. The total length of the route is 9.91 kilometers, including a 6.08 kilometer cross-border bridge section, which requires the installation of 760 T-beams along the entire line. Both China and Mongolia will jointly promote the principle of unified design, separate construction, and one-time connectivity. After completion, it will significantly enhance the cross-border transportation capacity of bulk commodities such as coal.

Fine control throughout the entire process

This installation involves 24 meter and 32 meter prestressed concrete T-beams, with a maximum weight of 149.5 tons per beam.

The construction team faced challenges such as high-altitude winds in the Gobi Desert and track deviations of bridge erecting machines, optimized the process of transporting, lifting, and erecting beams, implemented a full process control mode of pre erection simulation and deduction, real-time monitoring during erection, and post erection review and summary, overcame strict precision requirements and safety risks, and completed all beam erection operations in China to high standards.

After its opening, it will deepen bilateral economic and trade relations

As of now, 70% of the construction tasks for the domestic section of the project have been completed, and 32.5% of the construction progress for the overseas section has been completed. The main works such as pile foundation, pier cap, pier body, prefabricated beam, subgrade, and culvert are progressing in an orderly manner according to the nodes. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, China Mongolia railway infrastructure

After the full opening of the project, it will further facilitate the cross-border logistics channel between China and Mongolia, help upgrade border trade and industrial cooperation between the two countries, deepen bilateral economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges, and create a new cross-border transportation hub for mutual benefit and win-win between China and Mongolia.Editor/Gao Xue