Evolution of China-Vietnam Railway Gauge Reflects Deepening Ties
Published：2025-04-23
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The meter-gauge railway between China and Vietnam has operated for over a century. According to Kaiyuan Railway Service Depot, international freight on the meter-gauge line reached 378,900 tons in 2024, up 23.37% year-on-year.
As cultural exchanges and trade between the two countries deepen, the meter-gauge system can no longer meet modern demands. The 2014 opening of the standard-gauge Mengzi-Hekou Railway marked the full operation of the Kunming-Hekou standard-gauge route.
Shifting from a 1,000 mm to 1,435 mm gauge has brought faster speeds and greater capacity, further opening Yunnan to Vietnam. Kunming Customs reported Yunnan-Vietnam trade reached RMB 22.14 billion in 2024, an 18.6% YoY increase.
Goods flow smoothly, and people travel comfortably. In recent years, the number of Vietnamese tourists entering China via Yunnan has steadily increased. Many Vietnamese visitors use Honghe Railway Station and Hekoubei Railway Station as the "departure stations" to travel deeper into Yunnan. Data from Kaiyuan Railway Service Depot shows that in 2024, these two stations served 1,750 Vietnamese tour groups and 52,400 people, setting a new historical record.
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