Track-laying begins on high-speed railway reaching China-Vietnam border

(ECNS) -- Track-laying began Tuesday on the Fangchenggang-Dongxing Railway, China’s first high-speed railway reaching its border with Vietnam.

The railway will link Fangchenggang and Dongxing in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with the main trunk line extending 46.9 kilometers with a designed speed of 200 km per hour.

The railway track length is expected to stretch more than 106 kilometers and feature eight tunnels and 32 bridges.

Construction of the tunnels and bridges has been completed, while 90 percent of the roadbed project is complete.

Track-laying is scheduled to be finished by the end of September this year and put into service at the end of December, according to China Railway Nanning Group Co., Ltd.

After operation begins, the travel time between the two cities will be shortened from one hour to about 20 minutes. It is the first railway of Dongxi, which is located on the China-Vietnam border. It is expected to boost trade and economic exchanges between China and Southeast Asian countries.