Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou railway

The Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou railway is a standard-gauge railway in Yunnan Province of China, linking the provincial capital Kunming with the town of Hekou on the Vietnamese border. Constructed in several stages between 1989 and 2014, the Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou railway has largely replaced the Chinese section of the old metre-gauge Kunming–Haiphong railway for normal passenger and cargo transportation. The line is electrified, but single-tracked over most of its length.

Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou railway
A railway section in Jianshui County, north of Lihaozhai.
Overview
Other name(s)
  • Kunming–Yuxi railway
  • Kunming–Hekou railway
StatusOperational
OwnerChina Railway
LocaleYunnan Province
Termini
Continues as
Stations41
Service
Type
Operator(s)China Railway Kunming Group
Rolling stockCRH2, CR200J, HXD3C, HXD3D
History
OpenedDecember 1993
Last extension1 December 2014 (2014-12-01)[1]
Upgraded29 December 2016 (2016-12-29)[2]
Technical
Line length388 km (241 mi)
Number of tracks2–1
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line
Operating speed
  • Kunming–Yuxi: 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) (passengers)
  • Yuxi–Hekou: 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph) (passengers)
  • Kunming–Hekou: 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) (cargo)[3]
Route map
km
elev
Up arrowShanghai–Kunming HSR from Shanghai Hongqiao
Up arrowChongqing–Kunming HSR from Chongqing West and Chongqing East
Up arrowShanghai–Kunming railway from Shanghai
Kunming East–Kunming South link
Kunming East
Right arrowNanning–Kunming railway to Nanning
Kunming
Kunming West
Kunming South
Dushupu
Right arrowNanning–Kunming HSR to Nanning
Left arrowChengdu–Kunming railway to Chengdu
Taohuacun
Huacheng
Baitacun
Jinning East
Zhongtan
Right arrowbranch line to Baoxingcun
Zhongyicun
Qudong
Kunyang
Left arrow old Kunming–Yuxi line on the left
Dagucheng
Baofeng
Lianchi
Yuxi
Yuxi West
Left arrowYuxi–Mohan railway to Mohan and Vientiane
Yuxi South
 Dianjuba
 Tonghai
 Shihuashu
 Qujiang
 Lihaozhai
 Jianshui
 Yanzidong
 Shiyanzhai
 Gejiu
 Mengzi North
 Mengzi North
 Zhangqiaohai
 Mengzi
 Langchangzhai
 Xinxian
 Pingbian
 Lianhuatan
 Yaoshan
 Madubai
 Hekou North
 Hekou
China
Vietnam
border
Down arrow Hanoi–Lào Cai railway to Lào Cai and Hanoi
km
elev

The line consists of three segments:

  • Kunming–Yuxi railway, length 106 km (66 mi), opened in December 1993, upgraded in 2016;
  • Yuxi–Mengzi railway, length 141 km (88 mi), opened in February 23, 2013;[4]
  • Mengzi–Hekou railway, length 141 km (88 mi), opened in December 1, 2014.[1]

Route

Although the new line roughly parallels the Kunming–Hekou section of the old narrow-gauge Kunming–Hai Phong railway, the two lines' routes are significantly different. The new rail line, passing through Tonghai and Jianshui, is about 30 km (19 mi) west of the old metre-gauge railway (which runs via Yiliang and Kaiyuan).[5]

Kunming–Yuxi

The Kunming–Yuxi railway or Kunyu railway (simplified Chinese: 昆玉铁路; traditional Chinese: 昆玉鐵路; pinyin: kūnyù tiělù), is a single-track railroad in Yunnan Province of Southwest China. The line runs 106 km (66 mi) from Kunming to Yuxi and was built from 1989 to 1993.[6] Bridges and tunnels account for 22% of the total length of the line.

The major upgrade project of Kunming–Yuxi railway started in 2010, and completed in 2016. The EMU train entered into operation from December 29, 2016.[2]

A branch line, the Yuxi–Mohan railway opened in December 2021.[7] It leads from Yuxi to Mohan where it connects to the Boten–Vientiane railway at the Chinese–Laotian border.

Yuxi–Mengzi

The line runs 141 km (88 mi) from Yuxi in central Yunnan to Mengzi City in southern Yunnan.[8] Construction began on December 15, 2005, and was completed in mid-August 2012[9] and the line opened to commercial service on February 23, 2013.[10][4]

Cities and towns along route include Yuxi, Tonghai County, Jianshui County and Mengzi.[10]

Mengzi–Hekou

The Mengzi–Hekou rail line runs 141 km (88 mi) from Mengzi City in southern Yunnan to the Hekou Yao Autonomous County on the border with Vietnam.[11] Construction began in December 2008 and the line entered operation in December 2014, with two trains running daily from Kunming to Hekou and the travel time of 6 hours.[12][13][14][15] Regular passenger service operates between Hekou North and Kunming, with some trains continuing to Dali.[16]

A key element of the Mengzi–Hekou railway is the Taiyangzhai Tunnel (太阳寨隧道). The 7,414 metre-long tunnel is located in Yaoshan Township (瑶山乡) of Hekou County. Construction workers' working conditions in this tunnel have been reported as particularly difficult: with the temperature in the tunnel reaching 43 °C and relative humidity 98%, it was nicknamed the "sauna tunnel" by the workers. Drilling of this tunnel was completed in September 2013, making it possible for the entire railway project to stay on time for the completion by the end of 2014.[17]

Connections to the narrow-gauge network

A short metre-gauge connector line operates at Hekou North railway station to facilitate transfers of passengers and cargo to the Vietnamese metre-gauge section of the Kunming–Haiphong railway, in both directions.[14]

  • Entrance to Xiaoxingzhai Tunnel, between Yuxi and Tonghai
    Entrance to Xiaoxingzhai Tunnel, between Yuxi and Tonghai
  • An elevated section between two tunnel sections, between Tonghai and Jianshui
    An elevated section between two tunnel sections, between Tonghai and Jianshui
  • Kunming–Yuxi railway in Haikou Subdistrict, Xishan District, Kunming
    Kunming–Yuxi railway in Haikou Subdistrict, Xishan District, Kunming
  • Yuxi South (Yuxinan) station, the southern end point of the Kunming–Yuxi railway, is a freight station serving an important industrial area
    Yuxi South (Yuxinan) station, the southern end point of the Kunming–Yuxi railway, is a freight station serving an important industrial area
  • Southern terminus of the standard gauge Kunming–Hekou railway with a metre gauge at the Hekou North railway station before towards to Vietnam.
    Southern terminus of the standard gauge Kunming–Hekou railway with a metre gauge at the Hekou North railway station before towards to Vietnam.

References
  1. "中国连接越南边境的蒙河铁路正式通车运营". China News Network. December 1, 2014.
  2. "要买北京、上海、深圳还需再等等". yunnan.cn. 2016-12-26. Archived from the original on 2016-12-26. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  3. "Laos-China railway brings changes to Laos". China Daily. 7 August 2017.
  4. "玉蒙铁路昨日通车运营 今年5月开通客运". Internet Archive WayBack Machine. February 24, 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
  5. Matthew Hartzell, Yuxi-Mengzi: China's newest railway
  6. 中老铁路12月3日全线开通运营 昆明至万象约10小时可达. 中国新闻网 (in Chinese). 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021.
  7. "玉磨铁路正线铺轨已到宁洱 预计2021年12月实现通车". 2021-04-02.
  8. "云南在建铁路项目简介" 昆明铁路局宣传部 (in Chinese). January 18, 2011. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  9. "China finishes railway linking ASEAN". China Daily. August 15, 2012.
  10. 泛亚铁路东线玉蒙铁路正式开通运营 (in Chinese). February 23, 2013. Archived from the original on February 27, 2013.
  11. (Chinese) "云南在建铁路项目简介" 昆明铁路局宣传部 Archived 2012-06-12 at the Wayback Machine 2011-1-18
  12. (Chinese) 泛亚铁路东线蒙河铁路铺架开工 中国日报网 2013-01-01
  13. 蒙河铁路昨日正式开通运营 8天后或可坐火车去河口 2014-12-02
  14. Lu, Hua (陆华); Guo, Weina (郭薇娜) (2015-04-24), 昆明铁路局：国际铁路联运开启云南货运新篇章 (Kunming Railway Bureau: An international railway link opens a new chapter in Yunnan's freight transportation)
  15. 蒙河铁路客运开通在即　从昆明乘火车可直达中越边境 ("Passenger railway opened from Kunming by train can reach the Sino-Vietnam border"), 2014-12-09 (in Chinese)
  16. Hekou North schedule (in Chinese)
  17. 泛亚铁路东线蒙河铁路桑拿隧道贯通. 明年建成通车 ("Boring completed on the 'sauna tunnel' of the Mengzi–Hekou railway, the eastern section of the Trans-Asian Railway. Trains to start running by the end of the next year"), 2013-09-12
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