Railway workers work near a port in Fangchenggang City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 23, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

Track-laying for a new high-speed train linking the China-Vietnam border commenced on Tuesday in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The Fangdong Railway will link the Guangxi cities of Fangchenggang and Dongxing, which are separated by nearly 47 kilometers.

The railway track length is expected to stretch more than 106 kilometers, and features eight tunnels and 32 bridges. The track-laying is scheduled to be completed by the end of September this year, according to China Railway Nanning Group Co., Ltd.

To date, the construction of tunnels and bridges has been completed, while 90 percent of the roadbed project is complete.

The railway will be ready to start operating by the end of December 2023.

The railway has a design speed of 200 km per hour, and the travel time between the two cities will be shortened from one hour to about 20 minutes.

Dongxing is located on the China-Vietnam border. The line is expected to boost trade and exchanges between China and Southeast Asian countries.