Work begins on high-speed railway to China-Vietnam border

NANNING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Work began Monday on a railway that will allow Chinese high-speed trains to reach the China-Vietnam border.

Construction of the 47.6-km railway between Dongxing and Fangchenggang, both in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will take three years and cost 6.48 billion yuan (980 million U.S. dollars), according to the municipal government of Fangchenggang.

Trains on the Dongxing-Fangchenggang line will run up to 250 km per hour. Fangchenggang is already connected with regional capital Nanning by high-speed rail.

Dongxing is located at the China-Vietnam border. Authorities say the line will eventually form part of a trans-Asia railway linking China with Southeast Asian countries.