VietNamNet Bridge – The Hanoi-Nanning railway will begin operating on January 1, 2009 with one trip from Hanoi to Nanning and one from Nanning to Hanoi, said an official from the Vietnam Railways Corporation.

Chief of the Vietnam Railways Corporation’s Transport Business Department, Nguyen Huu Tuyen, said the tourist train, with six luxurious carriages, will depart from the Gia Lam Railway Station in Hanoi to Nanning, China.

The train will stop at six stations, including three in Vietnam, namely Gia Lam, Bac Giang and Dong Dang in Lang Son province. The train will leave Gia Lam Station at 7:00pm and arrive in Nanning at 8:00am the next day. The train from Nanning will start at 5:00pm and arrive at Gia Lam station at 4:00am the next day. The train will stop at the Vietnam-China border gate for three hours for entrance-exit procedures.

The train fare, according to Tuyen, is at the same level with other international trains, US$38 per ticket. He said the two sides will reduce the fares in the future.

Previously, Vietnam opened a railway route from Hanoi to Yunnan, China but this route was closed when China stopped using meter-wide railroads.

(Source: VNE)