Dongxing, a city on the China-Vietnam border in south China"s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, was linked to China's national railway network on Wednesday with the opening of a new rail line.

The new railway, linking Dongxing to Fangchenggang, stretches 47 km long and has a designed speed of 200 km per hour. According to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd, it is a dual-purpose line that handles both passenger and freight transportation.

The new railway, which began construction in March 2019, will reduce travel time between the two cities to 19 minutes.

The rail route runs through areas with an annual precipitation totaling more 2,000 mm, which made its construction technically complicated. It also encompasses a 7.5-km cross-sea high-speed railway bridge, the first of its kind in Guangxi.

"We've overcome multiple unfavorable factors, such as deep water tide, sea surface wind and complex seabed geology. With the significant expertise we've gathered, we'll be able to build the same type of cross-sea railway bridge under unusual conditions," said Wang Bo, head of the bridge's construction team.

As Dongxing's first railway, located on the China-Vietnam border, the new service is expected to boost tourism, trade activities, personnel and economic exchanges between China and Southeast Asian countries.