For connoisseurs of obscure rail routes, the Trans-Manchurian Railway ranks high on the wish list. It’s not on the mainline to Vladivostok, nor does it take the ‘tourist route’ via Mongolia; rather, the weekly Vostok (19/20) chugs through China’s rust belt, where foreign faces are few and far between.
Trans-Manchurian Route - Trans-Siberian Railway (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
Coverage includes: Mănzhōulǐ, Hā’Ěrbīn, Chángchūn, Shānhǎiguān and Shānhǎiguān.