Transportation links between Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Guangdong province are to be greatly improved, with the construction of a new railway line—the Hepu-Zhanjiang Railway.

The line will span 191 kilometers from Hepu county in Beihai city to Zhanjiang, also passing through the regions of Gaoqiao, Cheban and Hengshan in Lianjiang city.

The 14.3 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) project will take less than one hour from Hepu to Zhanjiang. The new line is scheduled to open to the public during late 2020.

Government officials from Zhanjiang and Beihai co-sponsored a conference to address preparations for the project in Hepu on Nov 16.

Wang Zhongbin, mayor of Zhanjiang, stated that a convenient transportation system between Zhanjiang and Beihai is crucial for mutual cooperation to exist between the two cities.

"Working members from both cities should share this common concern and work together for the construction," he said during the conference.

Top officials from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Guangdong province attend a conference to prepare for the Hepu-Zhanjiang Railway. [Photo by Wu Wenkang/ Zhanjiang.gov.cn]