China-Vietnam link

In September, as the evening sun bathed Nanning Railway Station in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, train T8701 prepared to depart for Hanoi, Vietnam. Among the passengers were French travelers Lise Dubos and Guillaume Pattier, eager to continue their Asian rail journey.

"We've traveled all over China by train — Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin," Dubos said. "Now we're taking the next step to Vietnam. Rail travel is comfortable, affordable and low-carbon."

Chinese businessman surnamed Zong, a regular passenger for more than a decade, echoed the sentiment. "I board at night in Nanning and arrive in Hanoi the next morning. It saves both time and money," he said.

Since the resumption of the Nanning-Hanoi and Beijing-Hanoi services in May, cross-border travel between the two countries has surged. By late September, the routes had recorded over 8,000 passenger trips, with August alone seeing an 89 percent increase from July.

Freight has been equally impressive. Data from China Railway Nanning Group shows that by late October, China-Vietnam freight trains departing from Guangxi had transported 29,000 standard containers, up 143 percent year-on-year, with goods sourced from 25 provinces across China.

"We consolidate small shipments in Nanning before loading them onto trains bound for Vietnam," said Zhu Shiqiang, logistics manager at Sinotrans Guangxi. "This approach speeds up deliveries, strengthens customer relations and enhances our competitiveness in ASEAN markets."

As two-way cargo flows accelerate, these railways are evolving from simple transport routes into economic corridors, enabling deeper industrial cooperation and regional supply chain integration.

From fast-moving durian to young students and European travelers, China's cross-border railways are weaving new stories of trade, travel and transformation. Promoting international railway cooperation has become a signature achievement of the Belt and Road Initiative, offering a tangible model of open connectivity.

Yang Ting contributed to this story.

luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn