Kunming–Haiphong railway

The Yunnan–Haiphong railway (Chinese: 滇越铁路; pinyin: Diānyuè Tiělù; Vietnamese: tuyến đường sắt Hải Phòng – Vân Nam / 綫塘鐵海防－雲南; French: Chemins de Fer de L'Indo-Chine et du Yunnan, "Indo-China–Yunnan Railroad") is an 855 km (531 mi) railway built by France from 1904 to 1910, connecting Haiphong, Vietnam, with Kunming, Yunnan province, China. The section within China from Kunming to Hekou is known as the Kunming–Hekou railway (Chinese: 昆河铁路; pinyin: Kun–He tielu), and is 466 km (290 mi) long. The section within Vietnam is 389 km (242 mi) long, and is known as the Hanoi–Lào Cai railway (Vietnamese: Đường sắt Hà Nội – Lào Cai / 塘鐵河内－老街). The railway was built with 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge due to the mountainous terrain along the route. Currently it is the only main line in China using 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge.

Kunming–Haiphong railway
The Kunming–Haiphong railway in Hekou town
Overview
Other name(s)	Yunan–Vietnam railway Sino–Vietnamese railway Indo-China–Yunnan railway
Status	Mostly freight services in China section
Owner	China Railway (China section) Vietnam Railways (Vietnam section)
Locale	Southwest China Northwest Vietnam Red River Delta
Termini	Kunming North Hai Phong
Connecting lines	Kunming–Hekou railway (old section) Hanoi–Lào Cai railway Hanoi–Haiphong railway
Stations	66
Service
Type	Regional rail Freight rail Commuter rail
Operator(s)	China Railway Kunming Group Vietnam Railways
History
Commenced	1904–1910
Opened	1 April 1910 (1910-04-01)
Last extension	16 June 1902 (1902-06-16)
Built by	French Colonial Administration
Technical
Line length	855 km (531 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Route map Chinese Pinyin elev. in m Chengdu–Kunming Railway to Panzhihua 昆明北 Kūnmíng Běi Kunming North 1,892 Shanghai–Kunming Railway to Guiyang Panlong Guandu 黑土凹 Hēitǔ’āo Heitu’ao 牛街庄 Niújiēzhuāng Niujiezhuang 小喜村 Xiǎoxǐ Cūn Xiaoxi 广卫村 Guǎngwèi Cūn Guangwei 跑马山 Pǎomǎshān Paomashan Guandu Chenggong County 呈贡 Chénggòng Chenggong 王家营 Wángjiāyíng Wangjiaying 1,907 三家村 Sānjiācūn Sanjiacun 七甸 Qīdián Qidian 水塘 Shuǐtáng Shuitang 2,026 Chenggong County Yiliang 阳宗海 Yángzōnghǎi Yangzonghai 凤鸣村 Fèngmíng Cūn Fengming 可保村 Kěbǎo Cūn Kebao multiple tunnels 水晶波 Shuǐjīngbō Shuijingbo multiple tunnels 江头村 Jiāngtóu Cūn Jiangtou 1,540 multiple tunnels 宜良 Yíliáng Yiliang 羊街子 Yángjiēzi Yangjiezi 狗街子 Gǒujiēzi Goujiezi 滴水 Dīshuǐ Dishui 徐家渡 Xújiādù Xujiadu Yiliang County Huaning 禄丰村 Lùfēng Cūn Lufeng 糯租 Nuòzū Nuozu multiple tunnels 大沙田 Dàshātián Dashatian Huaning Mile 西洱 Xī’ěr Xi’er 1,160 小河口 Xiǎo Hékǒu Xiao Hekou Mile Huaning 盘溪 Pánxī Panxi Huaning Mile 热水塘 Rèshuǐtáng Reshuitang 西扯邑 Xīchěyì Xicheyi multiple tunnels 拉里黑 Lālǐhēi Lalihei 巡检司 Xúnjiǎnsī Xunjiansi 灯笼山 Dēnglóngshān Denglongshan Mile Kaiyuan 小龙潭 Xiǎolóngtán Xiaolongtan multiple tunnels 打兔寨 Dǎtùzhài Datuzhai 十里村 Shílǐcūn Shilicun 开远 Kāiyuǎn Kaiyuan multiple tunnels 玉林山 Yùlínshān Yulinshan 大塔 Dàtǎ Data 1,059 驻马哨 Zhùmǎshào Zhumashao 大庄 Dàzhuāng Dazhuang Kaiyuan Mengzi 草坝 Cǎobà Caoba Caoba–Guanjiashan Railway to Yuguopu 碧色寨 Bìsèzhài Bisezhai 1,356 Gebishi Railway (600 mm gauge) to Shiping (until 1962) 黑龙潭 Hēilóngtán Heilongtan 1,547 Col de Milati-Tunnel 1,700 芷村 Zhǐcūn Zhicun 1,630 落水洞 Luòshuǐdòng Luoshuidong 1,552 戈姑 Gēgū Gegu 1,380 16 tunnels Wujiazhai Bridge over the Sicha River Mengzi Pingbian 倮姑 Luǒgū Luogu 1,166 multiple tunnels 亭塘 Tíngtáng Tingtang 老街子 Lǎojiēzi Laojiezi 菠渡箐 Bōdùqìng Boduqing 915 multiple tunnels 冲庄 Chòngzhuāng Chongzhuang 湾塘 Wāntáng Wantang 619 白寨大桥 Báizhàidàqiáo Baizhai Bridge over a Namti tributary 白寨 Báizhài Baizhai 388 multiple tunnels 白鹤桥 Báihèqiáo Baiheqiao 腊哈地 Làhādì Lahadi 245 大树塘 Dàshùtáng Dashutang Pingbian Hekou County 老范寨 Lǎofànzhài Laofanzhai 马街 Mǎjiē Majie 南溪 Nánxī Nanxi 蚂蝗堡 Mǎhuángpù Mahuangpu 山腰 Shānyāo Shanyao Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou Railway 河口 Hékǒu Hekou China Vietnam Lào Cai 88 Làng Giàng Thái Niên Lạng Phố Lu Cầu Nhô Thái Văn Bảo Hà Lang Thíp Lang Khay Lâm Giang Trái Hút Mậu Đông Mậu A Ngòi Hóp Cổ Phúc Yên Bái Văn Phú Đoan Thượng Ấm Thượng Vũ Ẻn Chí Chủ Phú Thọ Tiên Kiên Phủ Đức Việt Trì Lô River 295 Bạch Hạc Hướng Lại Vĩnh Yên Hương Canh Phúc Yên Thạch Lỗi Red River Ha Dong Bắc Hồng North–South Railway to Văn Điển start of dual gauge track Hanoi–Quán Triều Railway to Quán Triều dual gauge Đông Anh Cổ Loa Hanoi–Đồng Đăng Railway to Đồng Đăng dual gauge North–South Railway to Văn Điển Yen Vien Gia Lam end of dual gauge track Cầu Bây Phú Thụy Lạc Đạo Tuấn Lương Cẩm Giàng Cao Xá Hải Dương Song Thai Binh 380 Tiền Trung Song Lai Vu 120 Lai Khê Phạm Xá Phú Thai Dụ Nghĩa Vật Cách Thượng Lý Song Tam Bac 90 Haiphong Hải Phòng Harbour

History

The Faux Namti (Wujiazhai) Bridge over the Sicha River, in the Nanxi Valley region. More than 800 Chinese coolies died here.

Historic rolling stock from the Kunming–Hekou railway and its branches in the Yunnan Railway Museum, at Kunming North railway station

In the 19th century, the French colonial administration worked to develop regular trading networks and an efficient transport infrastructure between Indochina and south-west China. The primary motivation for such an effort was to facilitate export of European goods to China. A railway would also give France access to Yunnan's natural resources, mineral resources and opium, and open up the Chinese market for Indochinese products such as rice, dry fish, wood and coal.

Before the railway was built, the standard travel time from Haiphong (the closest sea port to most of Yunnan) to Kunming was reckoned by the Western authorities to be 28 days: 16 days by steamer and then a small boat up the Red River to Manhao (425 miles (684 km)), and then 12 days overland (194 miles (312 km)).

The right to build the railway was obtained following China's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95). At a cost of 95 million francs (€362 million), the railway was among the most ambitious colonial projects undertaken by France, and was put into use on 1 April 1910. The 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge section was originally administered in more or less the same way as the Indochinese networks, and if not for a "missing link" through Cambodia (between Saigon and Phnom Penh), it would have been physically possible for through trains to run from Kunming to Singapore, as 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge was used in Malaya as well.

Under pressure from Japan, France closed the line on 16 July 1940 to cut supplies to China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. During the Japanese occupation Japanese National Railways Class 9600 2-8-0 locomotives were shipped to aid their invasion, and after the completion of the "death railway" it was possible for a time to send through traffic to Burma and hence to the Indian 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge network. This is now not possible, as sections of the railway were destroyed during the conflicts since World War II.

During the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979, the railway bridge across the Nanxi River at the two countries' border was destroyed, and the trade between China and Vietnam came to a halt for several years.

Gebishi railway

Main article: Gebishi railway

The 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) narrow-gauge Gebishi branch line was built from Bisezhai towards Shiping and was 176 kilometres (109 mi) long. It was constructed in 1915 and the last 72 kilometres (45 mi) part was closed in 1990.

Present state

A commuter train on a Kunming North – Wangjiaying run in 2016

A freight train on the Hanoi–Lao Cai railway, near Bảo Hà station

Twice-a-week cross-border passenger service operated as late as 2000; the second-class passengers had to transfer from a Chinese train to a Vietnamese train at the border station, while the first-class car passengers could remain on board as their car was transferred to the train across the border. However, landslides caused frequent delays. Eventually, in 2005 the passenger service on the Chinese section of the railway (the Kunming–Hekou railway) was terminated, and most of the passenger coaches were donated to Myanmar.

In 2008, passenger service on a small part (37 km (23 mi) long) of the Chinese section of the railway was resumed, but on a very limited scale. As of 2012, two daily trains ran from Kunming North railway station on the meter-gauge tracks to Shizui (石咀) Station on the western outskirts of Kunming, and to Wangjiaying (王家营) east of the city. As of 2016, this service still continues, with 2 daily trains to Wangjiaying and one to Shizui. In December 2017, in order to leave room for the construction of the Kunming No.4 Metro line, the commuter train service between Shizui and Wangjiaying was terminated again, and parts of the meter gauge railway in the urban area was demolished. In 2022, the meter-gauge railway within the Kunming urban area was rebuilt, but no train services were operating on the line as of September 2023.

Freight service continues to operate throughout the Kunming–Hekou railway. Some rolling stock continues to be maintained in working condition. According to a 2015 news report, over the seven preceding years, 63 meter gauge flatcars had been refurbished at the Kunming North Station's workshop, for use in transborder container shipping. In 2016, 100 mothballed freight railcars were selected to be refurbished at the Kaiyuan workshop and to be put into use again.

Among important cargo types moved internationally on this line are chemical fertilizers. Since 2015, direct trains have been run from the phosphate fertilizer manufacturers in Kaiyuan to consumers in Vietnam. In the opposite direction, sulphur and zinc ore concentrate are imported to China from Vietnam.

The overall role of the Kunming–Hekou meter-gauge line in the Sino-Vietnamese trade significantly declined in the 21st century, as compared to the railway's heyday in the first half of the 20th century. According to one article dated 2015 and describing the trade as it operated prior to the opening of the standard-gauge railway to Hekou in 2014 (see below), the most common route for cargo shipped from Kunming to Vietnam would be the rather circuitous one: via the Nanning–Kunming railway (opened 1997), the sea port of Fangchenggang, and then by ship to Haiphong. However, since 2015, the amount of transborder shipments on the meter-gauge line has been on the increase again. According to a 2017 report, the first quarter of 2017 saw 166,200 tons of freight shipped by rail on the transborder line, which represented a 66.2% increase from the same period of the previous year, and 12-year record. This consisted of 74,100 tons of fertilizers exported from China to Vietnam and 92,100 tons of sulphur and zinc ore concentrate imported to China from Vietnam.

On the Vietnamese side, the Hanoi–Haiphong and Hanoi–Lào Cai railways continue to be important for domestic and transborder cargo transportation. Passenger trains continue to run both from Hanoi to Haiphong and from Hanoi to the border town of Lào Cai.

The new Kunming–Hekou railway line

Main article: Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou railway

A new 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge railway line from Kunming toward the Vietnamese border (the Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou railway) has been constructed in several stages between the 1990s and the 2010s. Its first section, a railway branch from Kunming to Yuxi, was opened in 1993. The new Yuxi–Mengzi section opened for freight service in February 2013; in April 2013, passenger trains started running daily as far as Mengzi North, 258 km (160 mi) south of Kunming and approximately 150 km (93 mi) north of Hekou. A second daily train was added by July.

The Mengzi–Hekou section was opened in December 2014, and regular passenger service started between Hekou North railway station and Kunming, with some trains continuing to Dali.

Although the new Kunming–Yuxi–Mengzi–Hekou rail line roughly parallels the old Kunming–Haiphong railway, the routes of the two railways are significantly different: the new rail line, passing through Tonghai and Jianshui, is about 30 km (19 mi) west of the old 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge railway (which runs via Yiliang and Kaiyuan).

Connections to standard-gauge network

There are a few points where the Kunming–Haiphong railway comes into contact with the standard-gauge network, enabling transfer of freight between the narrow-gauge and standard-gauge trains.

In Vietnam, the Hanoi metropolitan area has standard-gauge access via the dual-gauge (meter and standard) line that runs from Hanoi's Gia Lâm railway station to the Chinese (Guangxi) border at Đồng Đăng; this is the line that enables direct standard-gauge connection between Hanoi and China.

At the narrow-gauge railway's northern end, Kunming, is served both by the meter-gauge railway and by standard-gauge railways. There is even a level-crossing between the tracks of different gauges.

A short meter-gauge connector line has been constructed between the new Hekou North railway station (the southern terminal of the new standard-gauge line) and the old meter-gauge railway, thus allowing to bring cargo from Vietnam on meter-gauge railcar for reloading to standard-gauge rolling stock, and vice versa. The short connecting line joins the Kunming–Haiphong narrow-gauge mainline at 22.514674°N 103.986049°E / 22.514674; 103.986049, a few kilometers from the old Hekou Station.

A similar connection between the narrow-gauge and standard-gauge network exist in Mengzi, where the narrow-gauge Yuguopo railway station (雨过铺站) on the Caoba–Guanjiashan branch is adjacent to the standard-gauge Mengzi North railway station (蒙自北站) on the Kunming–Yuxi–Hekou line.

Museums and memorials

A section of the commemorative relief series in Hekou

The Yunnan Railway Museum, at Kunming North railway station, has a large exhibit on the Kunming–Haiphong railway and its narrow-gauge branch lines within Yunnan, although it covers the history of the province's standard gauge railways as well.

At Hekou, the square outside of the new Hekou North railway station (opened 2014) is decorated with reliefs depicting the history of the transportation and economy in the region, with a special focus on the Kunming–Haiphong railway.

3 Steam locomotives are preserved.

• JF51 No. 738: is preserved at the China Railway Museum.
• KD55 No. 579: is preserved at the China Railway Museum.
• KD55 No. 583: is preserved at the Yunnan Railway Museum.

JF51-738 at China Railway Museum

KD55-579 at the China Railway Museum

KD55-583 at the Yunnan Railway Museum

In fiction

• Bisezhai Station (碧色寨) by Fan Wen (范稳).

See also

• Banque de l'Indochine, which financed the railway
• China Railways DFH21 (aka DF10H), main motive power on the railway in the latter quarter of the 20th century
• Ethio-Djibouti Railways, a similar French-designed meter-gauge railway in Africa
• Guangzhouwan
• Hanoi–Haiphong railway
• Hanoi–Lào Cai railway
• History of rail transport in China
• List of former foreign enclaves in China
• Nanning–Kunming Railway (opened 1997), the main modern link between Yunnan and China's ports on the Tonkin Gulf
• Narrow gauge railways in China
• Yunnan–Burma Railway, an abortive project abandoned during World War II

Further reading

• Altan, Selda (2022). "Politics of Life and Labor: French Colonialism in China and Chinese Coolie Labor During the Construction of the Yunnan–Indochina Railway, 1898–1910". International Labor and Working-Class History.

External links

• The Yunnan–Vietnam Railroad
• The Yunnan-Vietnam Railroad – with photographs
• Chemins de Fer de L'Indo-Chine et du Yunnan by Leo-Giuliani (in French and Chinese)
• Yunnan French Railway Snaps
• Kunming–Hanoi on 1,000 mm gauge
• French Railway In China pdf document
• Kunming–Hekou Railway by K. Yoneya (in Japanese)
• Kunming–Hekou Railway by Mamoru Kuroi (in Japanese)
• Yunnan Railways Archived 14 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine at kurogane-rail (in Japanese)