Nanning–Kunming Railway

The Qingshuihe Bridge of the Nanning–Kunming Railway in Guizhou.

The Nanning–Kunming Railway or Nankun Railway (simplified Chinese: 南昆铁路; traditional Chinese: 南昆鐵路; pinyin: nánkūn tiělù), is a single-track electrified railroad in Southwest China between Nanning and Kunming, provincial capitals, respectively of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province. The railway was built from December 24, 1990 to March 18, 1997 and has a total length of 898.7 km (558 mi), including the main line of 863.04 km (536 mi) between Nanning and Kunming and a branch line from Weishe Township of Xingyi City to Hongguo Township of Liupanshui municipality, in Guizhou province.^[1][2] The Nankun Railway is a major rail conduit in Southwest China. Major cities and towns along route include Nanning, Baise, Xingyi, Luoping and Kunming.

The Nanning–Kunming Railway provides the shortest railway connection between Yunnan Province and China's sea ports on the Tonkin Gulf, such as Fangchenggang and Beihai, thus playing a role somewhat similar to that played by the Kunming–Hai Phong Railway before World War II.

Rail connections

• Nanning: Hunan–Guangxi Railway
• Tiandong: the Tiandong-Debao branch (open 2010), primarily used by the bauxite mining industry.^[3]
• Weishe (Xingyi): Weishe–Hongguo Railway
• Kunming: Shanghai-Kunming Railway / Neijiang–Kunming Railway, Chengdu–Kunming Railway

See also

• List of railways in China

References