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
Status	Operational
Owner	China Railway
Locale	Yunnan Province
Termini	Kunming South railway station Hekou North railway station
Continues as	Yuxi–Mohan railway Hanoi–Lào Cai railway
Stations	41
Service
Type	Inter-city rail Freight rail
Operator(s)	China Railway Kunming Group
Rolling stock	CRH2, CR200J, HXD3C, HXD3D
History
Opened	December 1993
Last extension	1 December 2014 (2014-12-01)[1]
Upgraded	29 December 2016 (2016-12-29)[2]
Technical
Line length	388 km (241 mi)
Number of tracks	2–1
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 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 Legend km elev Shanghai–Kunming HSR from Shanghai Hongqiao Chongqing–Kunming HSR from Chongqing West and Chongqing East Shanghai–Kunming railway from Shanghai Kunming East–Kunming South link Kunming East Nanning–Kunming railway to Nanning Kunming Kunming West Kunming South Dushupu Nanning–Kunming HSR to Nanning Chengdu–Kunming railway to Chengdu Taohuacun Huacheng Baitacun Jinning East Zhongtan branch line to Baoxingcun Zhongyicun Qudong Kunyang old Kunming–Yuxi line on the left Dagucheng Baofeng Lianchi Yuxi Yuxi West Yuxi–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 Hanoi–Lào Cai railway to Lào Cai and Hanoi km elev This diagram: view talk edit

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]

On 20 February 2025 the Vietnamese parliament approved an $8 billion railroad investment to upgrade under Xi Jinping's Belt and road initiative, the rail line which serves the Chinese border city Hekou Yao, Lao Cai, Hanoi and Haiphong.^[5]

Route

Although the new line roughly parallels the Kunming–Hekou section of the old narrow-gauge Kunming–Hai Phong railway, routes of the two lines 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).^[6]

The rail line will link the key manufacturing homes of Samsung, Foxconn, Pegatron and other global giants, who rely on components from China.^[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.^[7] 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.^[8] 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.^[9] Construction began on December 15, 2005, and was completed in mid-August 2012^[10] and the line opened to commercial service on February 23, 2013.^[11][4]

Cities and towns along route include Yuxi, Tonghai County, Jianshui County and Mengzi.^[11]

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.^[12] 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.^{[13][14][15][16]} Regular passenger service operates between Hekou North and Kunming, with some trains continuing to Dali.^[17]

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.^[18]

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.^[15]

Gallery

• 
  Entrance to Xiaoxingzhai Tunnel, between Yuxi and Tonghai
• 
  An elevated section between two tunnel sections, between Tonghai and Jianshui
• 
  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
• 
  Southern terminus of the standard gauge Kunming–Hekou railway with a metre gauge at the Hekou North railway station before towards to Vietnam.