Around the Planet

As well as an Introduction to the Trans-Siberian Railway, I have already discussed the Trans-Siberian railway proper, which is the Moscow-Vladivostok route, and the Trans-Mongolian alternative, more popular with the tourists, that goes via Mongolia to Beijing.

The third and final alternative for crossing Eurasia is the Trans-Manchurian route from Moscow to Beijing. This train, known as the Vostok, takes just over six days to cover the 5,623 mile route (8,986km) from Moscow to Beijing, and follows the same route as the Trans-Siberian as far as Tarskaya, from where it goes on to the Russian border town of Zabaikalsk, after which it crosses over into China, and continues on to the Chinese border town of Manzhouli. Crossing the Russia-China border takes the best part of a day, as they hoist the train and carriages up and change the bogies, (these are the frameworks of wheels, axles and suspension), so they fit the new track gauge. Taking photos at this time is not a good idea, unless you want to get into a load of trouble with the border police.

Having been adapted to the new gauge, the train then continues on to Beijing, passing through Harbin and Changchun.

You have the option of 2nd class compartments with four berths, known as kupe, or a 1st class compartment with only two berths, known as spalny vagon. The prices for this route are similar to those for the Trans-Mongolian route.

People who have taken this route report that the Chinese food is really good, but that the Russian food bears an uncanny similarity to English school dinners from way back when, making that border crossing even more significant!

With its fabulous architecture of Russian and European influence, Harbin is one of China’s most beautiful cities, and I think I would find it hard to go through this neck of the woods without making a stopover. Harbin is certainly an ideal place to break journey before continuing on to Beijing.

For a very frank account of travelling this route in wintertime see Last Train to Lhasa, which gives some very eye-opening descriptions of some of the characters one can meet on the train.

When considering your trans-Siberian adventure, and which of the three possible routes to take, you would be well advised to take a look at The Man in Seat Sixty-One … which is full of useful information about the journey, how to buy tickets, and so on, as well as a cornucopia of information about world train travel generally.