DF7D locomotives alongside the Hunan–Guangxi railway in Guilin
History
The original single-track Xianggui Line was built in sections from 1937 to 1939 and 1950–1955.
In December 2008, construction began on a capacity-expansion project to a new pair of 723.7 km (450 mi) electrified tracks from Hengyang to Nanning, which would create a three-track line of 497.9 km (309 mi) between Hengyang and Liuzhou and a four-track line of 225.8 km (140 mi) between Liuzhou and Nanning.[2][3] The expansion project was completed in December 2013. The new double-track from Hengyang to Liuzhou is called the Hengyang–Liuzhou intercity railway and the new double-track from Liuzhou to Nanning is called the Liuzhou–Nanning intercity railway.
The Hunan–Guangxi railway is used by most trains traveling from Beijing, Shanghai, and other points in eastern China to Guangxi (Guilin, Nanning) and to the Vietnamese border. This includes the Beijing–Nanning–Hanoi through train.
At the end of 2013, high-speed passenger service was introduced on the Hunan–Guangxi railway as well. A direct G-series trains from Beijing makes it to Guilin in about 10.5 hours. D-series trains continue from Guilin to Nanning, taking less than 3 hours for the trip.[5][6]