China’s latest high-speed rail milestone went into service on 5 December with the opening of the 81-km Chongzuo–Pingxiang segment of the Nanning–Pingxiang railway in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The new stretch completes a 119-km corridor that now links Nanning, the region’s capital, with Pingxiang, a key gateway city on the Vietnamese border, in as little as 75 minutes.
Background and context – Construction of the ¥26 billion (US$3.6 billion) line began in 2018 as part of the Pan-Beibu Gulf regional integration plan and China’s wider push to knit together the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area with faster passenger and freight links. The route is designed for 250 km/h EMU trains and interfaces with the existing Nanning–Hanoi conventional railway at Pingxiang station, creating a seamless “rail-to-rail” transfer option for through passengers and cargo headed to Vietnam and onward to other Indo-China states.
![New Nanning–Pingxiang high-speed rail line slashes travel time to Vietnam border]()
What changes for business travellers – The time saving is dramatic: cross-border executives can now reach the Friendship Pass land port from Nanning in barely an hour, compared with more than three hours by road on congested National Highway 322. State-owned rail operator China Railway Nanning Group says it will begin with eight return services daily, timed to connect with overnight sleeper trains between Hanoi and northern Vietnam. Weekend tour packages marketed by Guangxi-based agencies are already bundling rail tickets with 48-hour visa-free excursions to the northern Vietnamese city of Lạng Sơn.
Economic implications – Guangxi’s logistics hub ambitions receive a boost as rail freight trials begin early next year, offering electronics manufacturers in the Nanning-Liuzhou corridor a faster alternative to trucking for just-in-time deliveries to Vietnamese assembly plants. Tourism officials project an additional 1 million cross-border leisure trips annually by 2027, supporting hotels, F&B and duty-free retail in Pingxiang. Analysts at CITIC Securities believe the line could lift Guangxi’s cross-border trade volume by 6-8 percent in its first full year of operation.
Practical tips – Foreign passport holders can buy tickets on the 12306.cn English portal; fares start at RMB 78 (second class) for the full Nanning–Pingxiang journey. International travellers entering Vietnam via Friendship Pass must still obtain an e-visa in advance or qualify for Vietnam’s visa-waiver list. China’s 30-day visa-free entry for many European and ASEAN nationals remains in place for leisure or business trips that originate on the Chinese side of the border.
Background and context – Construction of the ¥26 billion (US$3.6 billion) line began in 2018 as part of the Pan-Beibu Gulf regional integration plan and China’s wider push to knit together the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area with faster passenger and freight links. The route is designed for 250 km/h EMU trains and interfaces with the existing Nanning–Hanoi conventional railway at Pingxiang station, creating a seamless “rail-to-rail” transfer option for through passengers and cargo headed to Vietnam and onward to other Indo-China states.
What changes for business travellers – The time saving is dramatic: cross-border executives can now reach the Friendship Pass land port from Nanning in barely an hour, compared with more than three hours by road on congested National Highway 322. State-owned rail operator China Railway Nanning Group says it will begin with eight return services daily, timed to connect with overnight sleeper trains between Hanoi and northern Vietnam. Weekend tour packages marketed by Guangxi-based agencies are already bundling rail tickets with 48-hour visa-free excursions to the northern Vietnamese city of Lạng Sơn.
Economic implications – Guangxi’s logistics hub ambitions receive a boost as rail freight trials begin early next year, offering electronics manufacturers in the Nanning-Liuzhou corridor a faster alternative to trucking for just-in-time deliveries to Vietnamese assembly plants. Tourism officials project an additional 1 million cross-border leisure trips annually by 2027, supporting hotels, F&B and duty-free retail in Pingxiang. Analysts at CITIC Securities believe the line could lift Guangxi’s cross-border trade volume by 6-8 percent in its first full year of operation.
Practical tips – Foreign passport holders can buy tickets on the 12306.cn English portal; fares start at RMB 78 (second class) for the full Nanning–Pingxiang journey. International travellers entering Vietnam via Friendship Pass must still obtain an e-visa in advance or qualify for Vietnam’s visa-waiver list. China’s 30-day visa-free entry for many European and ASEAN nationals remains in place for leisure or business trips that originate on the Chinese side of the border.
