China Oops…. the train track changes width at the border
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Johan Kruseman
Updated on 15 October 2024
Updated on 15 October 2024
Arriving at the border with China, an unexpected problem arose: the rails in China turned out to be 10 cm closer together than in Mongolia. The easiest solution seemed to be to switch to a Chinese train. It was decided to change all the wheelsets under the train!!! With all the passengers on board, the entire Trans-Mongolian Express was lifted 1.5 meters off the ground, and the Chinese wheelsets were rolled under the train, pushing away the Mongolian wheelsets. With careful aim, the whole train was lowered back onto its brand-new slippers. The knowledge that the wheelsets were not fastened and that gravity was the only thing keeping the train and its wheels together caused a few delayed drops of sweat from the past few hours on the train. The good news of this pit stop was that it gave the Chinese bureaucracy enough time to complete the entire passport control: we were in China!
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Traveled route: Trans Mongolie Express,Beijing, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Tian'anmen Square, Great Wall of China, Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, Qingdao
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Did this story inspire you to go to China? Read more on what China has to offer, what the best months are for visiting and check the handy links for backpacking there.