On June 13, 2026, a 149.5 ton T-beam was accurately positioned, and all 94 T-beams on the domestic section of the China Mongolia cross-border railway were erected. This second cross-border railway between China and Mongolia, which has been nearly 70 years apart, is gradually connecting the two countries with a hundred ton beam.

Cross border installation of a hundred ton beam, with full technical difficulty

The railway from Ganqimaodu to Gashusu on the sea chart has a total length of 9.91 kilometers and a cross-border bridge section of 6.08 kilometers. The entire line requires the installation of 760 pieces of 24 meter and 32 meter prestressed concrete T-beams. China Railway Construction Bridge Bureau undertook the construction of the domestic section, and the team faced challenges such as high-altitude winds, track deviation of the bridge erecting machine, and track gauge deformation. They implemented a full process control mode of pre erection simulation, mid erection monitoring, and post erection review, ultimately completing all beam erection tasks with zero accidents. At present, the overall construction of the domestic section is 70% completed, and the overseas section is 32.5% completed. The main projects such as pile foundation, pier body, and prefabricated beams are progressing in an orderly manner according to the nodes.

Seventy years waiting for a road, the strategic value far exceeds the project itself

This is the second cross-border railway between China and Mongolia in nearly 70 years since the opening of the Erenhot Zamyn Uud railway in 1956. It adopts a unified design, separate construction, and one-time connectivity model. After the full line is opened to traffic, it will directly open up a logistics channel from Ganqimaodu Port to Southern Gobi Province in Mongolia, which is of great significance for border trade and industrial cooperation between the two countries.

The domestic segment has exceeded 70%, while the overseas segment has just exceeded 30%. The real challenge lies in cross-border joint investigations. Seventy years have passed since the arrival of the second railway, which not only carries freight volume but also serves as a new anchor point for China Mongolia relations.Editor/Cheng Liting