Hohhot-Ulaanbaatar through train
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Current operator(s) | UBTZ CR Hohhot |
| Route | |
| Termini | Hohhot Ulaanbaatar |
| Stops | Zhurihe Erenhot Zamin Uud Choir |
| Average journey time | 24 h 54 min（034） 36 h 06 min（033） |
| Line(s) used | Trans-Mongolian |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | Hard sleeper Hard seat |
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | Type 25B Type 18 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) 1,524 mm (5 ft)（Russian gauge） |
| Electrification | 25kv 50HZ（Hohhot-Jining South） |
Train 033/034, designated as 4652/4653 and 4654/4651 within China, is a jointly operated international passenger service run by Mongolian Railways and China Railway. It connects Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, with Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China. Launched on May 31, 1990, this was the first international passenger train service between Inner Mongolia (China) and Outer Mongolia (Mongolia).
The train runs along the Beijing–Baotou Railway, the Jining–Erlian Railway, and the Mongolian north–south main line, traversing Mongolia’s Dornogovi Province, Govisümber Province, Töv Province, and the city of Ulaanbaatar. The entire route covers approximately 1,210 kilometers.
The Mongolian-operated service departs Ulaanbaatar Station every Friday, taking 24 hours and 54 minutes to reach Hohhot on Saturday. The return service departs Hohhot every Monday and takes 36 hours and 6 minutes to reach Ulaanbaatar on Wednesday.
The China Railway-operated train began service on April 28, 1991. It departs Hohhot every Friday and arrives in Ulaanbaatar on Sunday. The return trip leaves Ulaanbaatar on Monday and arrives in Hohhot on Tuesday. The travel times and schedules are consistent with those of the Mongolian-operated service.。
History
[edit]
On March 15, 1990, a China–Mongolia expert meeting on passenger rail service was held in Ulaanbaatar. At the meeting, both sides agreed to launch a direct passenger train between Ulaanbaatar and Hohhot during the summer season (from May 31 to September 27, 1990). The train was to be operated by Mongolian Railways, which would provide the rolling stock and crew. The service officially began on May 31, operating once a week. It used train numbers 215/216 within Mongolia and 601/602 within China.
On October 7, a multilateral conference on international passenger train scheduling was held in Novosibirsk, with representatives from China, North Korea, Mongolia, and the Soviet Union. During the meeting, it was agreed that both China Railway and Mongolian Railways would share the operation of the direct Hohhot–Ulaanbaatar service.
Subsequently, on December 17, representatives from the Hohhot Railway Bureau (China) and the Ulaanbaatar Railway Bureau (Mongolia) met in Hohhot and reached a formal agreement to launch a year-round direct passenger service between Hohhot and Ulaanbaatar starting in 1991. Each railway would operate one round-trip per week. The agreement also covered the timetable, service dates, ticketing, financial settlement, and technical standards for the train.[1]
On April 28, 1991, China Railway officially launched its own international direct passenger train between Hohhot and Ulaanbaatar, providing both rolling stock and crew. This marked the first year-round international train service operated by China Railway to a foreign capital outside of Beijing.[2]
Due to COVID-19, train services are suspended from 14 Februrary 2024.
Services resumed from 15 March 2024.[3]
Train composition
[edit]Train 4652/4653 and 4654/4651 operates using CR25B-type coaches assigned to the Baotou Coach Depot of the Hohhot Railway Bureau. On the Hohhot–Erlian segment, the train is composed of five coaches: three hard sleeper cars and two hard seat cars. For the international leg between Hohhot and Ulaanbaatar, the formation includes two additional through coaches.
On the Mongolian side, the train departing Ulaanbaatar every Friday and returning from Hohhot every Monday uses a Russian-style coach manufactured in Germany. This car is marked МЕСТ-36 (pronounced /mʲest/, meaning "36 berths") and serves as a hard sleeper coach.
On the Chinese side, the train departing Hohhot every Friday and returning from Ulaanbaatar every Monday includes two cars: one soft sleeper and one hard sleeper coach, both of which are Type 18 coaches from China Railway.
At Erenhot Station (二连站), the train is coupled with or separated from train 683/684, which operates between Erenhot and Ulaanbaatar. Additionally, the train undergoes a reversal (change of direction) at Jining South Station (集宁南站).
The Mongolian crew is provided by the UBTZ, while the Chinese crew is assigned from the CR Hohhot.
Because Mongolia uses the Russian broad gauge (1520 mm) and China uses the standard gauge (1435 mm), bogie exchange is necessary at Erenhot whenever the train crosses the border. The entire train is lifted using special hoisting equipment, the original bogies are rolled out, and new ones of the appropriate gauge are rolled in and mounted. This process, along with border inspections, typically requires a stop of about three hours at Erenhot.
Passengers may choose to stay on the train to observe the bogie-changing operation or disembark and rest inside the station building.[4]
| Section | Hohhot↔Erenhot | Hohhot↔Ulaanbaatar（UBTZ / CR） | Hohhot↔Erenhot | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4-5 | 6-7 |
| Type | YW25B Hard sleeper |
МЕСТ-36 36 paxPlatzkart |
RW18 Soft sleeper |
YW18 Hard sleeper |
YW25B Hard sleeper |
YZ25B Hard seat |
| Operator | CR Hohhot | UBTZ | CR Hohhot | CR Hohhot | ||
Loco shift
[edit]Within China, Train 4652/4653 and 4654/4651 is operated by locomotives provided by CR Hohhot. The locomotive assignment is as follows:
- From Hohhot to Jining South: The train is hauled by an HXD3C electric locomotive, with crew from CR Hohhot.
- From Jining South to Erenhot (Erlian): The train switches to a DF4D (Dongfeng 4D) diesel locomotive, operated by CR Hohhot.
These locomotive changes reflect the electrification status and operational requirements along the route.
| Section | Hohhot ↔ Jining South | Jinning South ↔ Erenhot | Erenhot↔ Zamin Uud | Zamin Uud ↔ Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loco Operator Shift |
HXD3C CR Hohhot Hohhot |
DF4D CR Hohhot Jining |
CKD4B UBTZ UBTZ shift |
2M62MM 2TE116UM UBTZ UBTZ shift |
Timetable
[edit]- No time difference
| 034/684/4654、4651 | Stops | 4652、4653/683/033 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train no. | Day | Arrival | Departure | Arrival | Departure | Day | Train no. | |
| 034 | Day 1 | — | 20:45 | Ulaanbaatar | 10:05 | — | Day 3 | 033 |
| ↓ | ↓ | Amgalan | 09:48 | 09:53 | ||||
| Day 2 | 00:55 | 01:13 | Choir | 05:19 | 05:49 | |||
| 04:26 | 04:56 | Sainshand | 01:10 | 01:50 | ||||
| 034/684 | 08:30 | 10:00 | Zamin Uud | 17:35 | 21:35 | Day 2 | 683/033 | |
↑  Mongolia（MST UTC+08:00） /  China（CST UTC+08:00） ↓
| ||||||||
| 684/4654 | Day 2 | 10:25 | 13:45 | Erenhot | 05:26 | 17:10 | Day 2 | 4653/683 |
| 4654 | 14:29 | 14:33 | Qiharigetu | 04:31 | 04:34 | 4653 | ||
| 15:28 | 15:34 | Saikhan Tal | 03:30 | 03:44 | ||||
| 16:10 | 16:13 | Zurkh | 02:40 | 02:43 | ||||
| 17:42 | 17:45 | Tumurtai | 01:38 | 01:42 | ||||
| ↓ | ↓ | Ulaan Khata | 01:11 | 01:13 | ||||
| 18:23 | 18:27 | Bayan Tsagaan | 00:50 | 00:54 | ||||
| 4654/4651 | 19:26 | 19:46 | Jining South | 23:45 | 00:01 | Day 1 | 4652/4653 | |
| 4651 | 21:23 | — | Hohhot | — | 21:59 | 4652 | ||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ 王馨源 (2002年). 《中国铁路国际联运大事记》. 中国铁道出版社. p. 第111页.
- ^ 呼和浩特———乌兰巴托直达客车开通 Archived 2008-03-21 at the Wayback Machine. 新华信. 2007年6月4日.
- ^ "中国铁路呼和浩特局集团有限公司关于呼和浩特～乌兰巴托间旅客列车恢复开行的公告". 中国铁路12306. Archived from the original on 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ 二连站换轮确保列车通行 Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. 火车网.
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To avoid COVID-19, all trains suspended operation until 2024 when international trains resumed services. But not all are resumed. | |||||||||||
