In south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a high-speed railway connecting a city bordering Vietnam to another city in the region entered its trial operation phase on Saturday, marking the countdown to it being fully operational.

The Fangdong Railway links the two Guangxi cities of Fangchenggang and Dongxing, with the latter being located on the China-Vietnam border.

Separated by nearly 47 kilometers, the railway has a design speed of 200 kilometers per hour and a top speed of 250 km per hour.

The travel time between the two cities will be shortened from one hour to about 20 minutes and 70 minutes from the region's capital city to the city bordering Vietnam.

As an international corridor, the cross-sea line is expected to boost trade and tourism between China and Southeast Asian countries.

The railway is expected to start operating by the end of 2023, according to a Xinhua report.