The world’s first international cable car system will begin operating in spring 2026, connecting Blagoveshchensk in Russia with Heihe in China across the Amur River. The groundbreaking infrastructure project is part of a bilateral agreement signed between Russia and China in September 2015, with symbolic construction starting in July 2019.
According to Ekaterina Kuzmina, Chief Operating Officer of the Agency for the Development of Project Initiatives, the total cost of the megaproject is approximately 13 billion rubles. This amount covers both the passenger terminal and the cableway system to ensure full functionality.
The route will span 976 meters at a height of 70 meters above the river, offering a scenic and efficient crossing in just 2.5 minutes. The system is designed with a daily throughput of up to 6,800 passengers in each direction.
Construction teams are working in parallel on both riverbanks. The Chinese equipment manufacturer is supplying identical parts to both sites to ensure synchronization. On the Russian side, the passenger terminal is already 60% complete.
The project is being implemented by the Agency for the Development of Project Initiatives. On May 22, Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian Presidential Envoy for Investment Cooperation and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), noted that Russia and China are exploring new areas of joint investment, including electric vehicles and e-commerce platforms. Chinese businesses have traditionally focused their investments in agriculture, chemical industries, infrastructure, engineering, and mining.
