HCMC – Vietnam and China will resume their cross-border passenger train service between Gia Lam Station in Hanoi City and Nanning City, China, on May 25 after a suspension of over four years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vietnam Railways (VNR) said it has received approval from the Ministry of Construction to restart international passenger trains coded T8701/MR2 and T8702/MR1. These trains will operate through the Dong Dang (Vietnam) – Pingxiang (China) border gate.
The resumption will comply with Vietnam’s existing laws and relevant international agreements, while ensuring operational safety and security, according to the ministry.
VNR has been tasked with coordinating with Chinese railway authorities to implement the plan and report progress to higher-level regulators.
Passenger services between the two countries were suspended on February 5, 2020, due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Since then, VNR has repeatedly proposed restarting the service to facilitate travel and trade between the two countries.
The issue was raised during bilateral talks and was mentioned in the joint statement issued during General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam in April 2025.
On May 13, Vietnamese and Chinese local authorities, including representatives from the Dong Dang Border Gate Economic Zone and a delegation from Pingxiang City, Guangxi Province, reached an agreement to restart the cross-border train service from May 25.
The Hanoi–Dong Dang railway line spans 162 kilometers and is the only dual-gauge railway in Vietnam, accommodating both 1,000mm and 1,435mm gauges. This allows direct train connections to China without requiring transfers at the border.
Trains depart from Gia Lam Station in Hanoi, pass through the Dong Dang–Pingxiang border crossing, and continue to destinations including Nanning, Guangzhou, and Beijing.
