New High-Speed Rail Between Nanning and Pingxiang Cuts Travel Time to Seventy Five Minutes, Setting a New Standard for its Comfort and Efficiency in Guangxi

Published on December 4, 2025

A new high speed railway, which links Pingxiang, a key border city in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region with Chongzuo, is to open on Friday and provides a faster and more efficient connection to the China-Vietnam border. The 81-kilometer line links Pingxiang and Chongzuo and is integrated with the already existing railway between Chongzuo and Nanning, the capital of Guangxi.

Once operational, according to China State Railway Group, the national railway operator, travel time will decrease from more than four hours currently to about one hour and fifteen minutes. This upgrade creates a high-speed passenger corridor from Nanning to the border and is transforming the way people move across Southwest China while laying a stronger foundation for tourism, trade, and people-to-people exchanges with Vietnam and the wider ASEAN region.

Faster Rail Travel Unlocks Cross Border Tourism Opportunities

Designed for speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour, the new line will initially run four pairs of high speed trains per day. The fastest journey between Nanning and Pingxiang will be shortened by 178 minutes compared with existing regular speed services, turning a long regional trip into a short, predictable ride.

This dramatic time saving is expected to act as a catalyst for cross border tourism. Travelers heading from Nanning towards Vietnam will find it considerably easier to reach the frontier, while tour operators can package routes that combine urban stays in Guangxi with overland journeys into Vietnamese destinations. For Vietnamese visitors, the line creates a more convenient gateway into China’s high speed rail network, encouraging short stay visits, shopping trips and multi city itineraries that previously required more time and effort.

High Speed Rail Arrives For Border Cities For The First Time

By plugging into the national high speed rail grid via the Nanning hub, the new route brings high speed services for the first time to Pingxiang, Ningming and Longzhou. These border counties and inland areas, once several hours away by slower trains or road, will now sit within easy reach of the regional capital.

Improved regional mobility is expected to support high quality development in border areas, making it easier to attract investment, expand logistics and trade functions and develop cultural and eco tourism in Guangxi’s countryside. With quicker access, visitors are more likely to explore lesser known scenic areas, ethnic culture villages and nature reserves, helping to spread tourism income more evenly beyond the main urban centers.

High Speed Travel Sets A New Standard For Comfort And Efficiency

The new corridor is not only about speed; it also points to a new standard of travel comfort and efficiency for residents and visitors in Southwest China. Modern high speed train services typically offer more comfortable seating, quieter carriages, smoother rides and better climate control than older rolling stock or long distance buses, improving the overall passenger experience.

Because the line is integrated into the Nanning hub, travelers will benefit from easier connections to other high speed routes across China, which supports more seamless, end to end journeys. As digital ticketing, mobile apps and coordinated timetables become more widespread, passengers can expect more reliable departure and arrival times that simplify trip planning, shorter transfer windows between high speed trains at major hubs, reduced journey fatigue even on multi segment trips, and improved accessibility for families, older travelers and business passengers who need predictable schedules.

Over time, this blend of speed, comfort and operational efficiency is likely to nudge more people away from long distance road travel and traditional slower trains, contributing to safer, more predictable and potentially more sustainable mobility patterns throughout the region.

Flexible Pricing Supports Diverse Passenger Needs

The line will adopt a flexible, market based pricing system, giving passengers a broader range of choices and allowing fares to adjust according to demand, seasonality and service levels. This model helps keep high speed rail competitive with other transport modes while preserving quality and reliability.

For daily commuters, students, business travelers and tourists, the ability to choose among different fare levels and departure options adds another layer of travel efficiency, allowing trips to be tailored to both time constraints and budget. This flexibility is a key element in building a modern, passenger centered transport system.

Strengthening China ASEAN Tourism And Trade Links

The new railway is a core part of China’s broader push to enhance connectivity with neighboring countries, especially within the framework of the China–ASEAN Free Trade Area. Faster rail links between Guangxi and the Vietnam border will make it easier for people, goods and services to move across the region, reinforcing the province’s role as a strategic bridge to Southeast Asia.

For the tourism industry, the corridor strengthens Guangxi as a land gateway between China’s inland regions and ASEAN markets. As cross border rail cooperation deepens in the future, the line could become part of longer overland travel chains, connecting Chinese high speed services with Vietnamese and regional transport networks and supporting more sustainable, rail based tourism across multiple countries.

Tourism And Mobility Outlook For Guangxi And The Border Region

With the Nanning–Pingxiang high speed line going into operation, tourism and transport operators in Guangxi are likely to create new tourism products that take full advantage of the improved connectivity and enhanced journey comfort. These may relate to combined China-Vietnam rail tours, short break excursions from big Chinese cities to border towns and nearby scenic zones, business and conference trips linked to China-ASEAN cooperation events, and cultural or academic exchange dealing with ethnic diversity, border history, and regional integration.

Reducing travel times sharply while raising standards of comfort and efficiency, the line makes border tourism and regional mobility more accessible and appealing. As high-speed rail becomes part of everyday life in Pingxiang, Ningming, and Longzhou, Guangxi is better positioned for the future as a dynamic, well-connected gateway linking China and ASEAN, with rail-based travel playing an increasingly central role in the region’s development.