NANNING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- On the night of April 10, a cross-border freight train departed from the Nanning International Railway Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, carrying a cargo of electronics and industrial parts destined for Southeast Asia.

The train, a central link in the China-Vietnam railway network, left at midnight for the 14-hour journey south.

The shipment arrived the following afternoon at Yen Vien station, a sprawling rail terminal on the northern outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam's capital.

The route, which began with no more than five trips in a month in 2017, has since matured into a critical trade artery, moving Chinese machinery to Vietnamese factories and fresh produce back north.

Over the past decade, Chinese rail authorities have steadily upgraded this rail corridor into a modern logistical backbone, using increased train frequency and streamlined customs clearance to shorten transit times.

Statistics reflect an explosion in demand.

In 2025, freight trains originating from Guangxi dispatched 37,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) to Vietnam, a year-on-year jump of 86 percent, a new record, according to railway data.

The variety of cargo has also diversified, expanding from a handful of basic commodities to 455 product categories, including high-end circuit boards and specialized steel plates.

Over the course of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period, rail exports from Guangxi to Vietnam grew over sixfold compared to the previous five-year cycle.

A gain in efficiency has also played a big role in this surge in trade.

In 2025, the China Railway Nanning Group Co., Ltd.

scaled up hauling capacity on the Pingxiang-Dong Dang segment, boosting border throughput by 30 percent.

With Nanning Customs now offering round-the-clock clearance by appointment, the weekly schedule has been expanded, raising the number of trains from three to 14.

At the Nanning International Railway Port, a new freight consolidation system which allows multiple vendors to "pool" shipments, has become a major draw for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The practice has reportedly slashed shipping costs for foodstuffs by approximately 400 yuan (about 58.3 U.S.

dollars) per container.

"The trains are punctual and cost-effective, exactly what we need....