Nanning - Hanoi Trains: T8701 / T8702

Train T8701 is in service from Nanning to Hanoi every day, taking 12 hours and 25 minutes to complete the trip. In Vietnam, it is named / MR2. The ticket price for a soft sleeper is CNY 300.

From Hanoi to Nanning, train T8702 (MR1 in Vietnam) is available, taking about 11 hours and 47 minutes to finish the journey as long as 396 kilometers (246 miles) on a daily basis.

Basic Facts

Open Date: January 1st, 2009

Travel Time: 12 hours and 25 minutes/ 11 hours and 47 minutes

Distance: 396 kilometers (246 miles)

Operated at: Nanning Railway Station, Gia Lam Railway Station

Major Cities along the Way: Nanning, Fusui, Chongzuo, Ningming, Pingxiang, Dongdang, Bac Giang and Hanoi

Nanning to Hanoi Train Schedule: T8701

Arrival	Departure	Stations
Beijing Time
	18:05	Nanning
19:01	19:04	Fusui
20:11	20:17	Chongzuo
21:19	21:22	Ningming
22:10	23:41	Pingxiang
Hanoi Time
0:22+1	2:55+1	Dong Dang
5:33	5:36+1	Bac Giang
6:30	/	Hanoi

Hanoi to Nanning Train Schedule: T8702

Arrival	Departure	Stations
Hanoi Time
	22:20	Hanoi (Gia Lam)
23:11	23:14	Bac Giang
1:55+1	3:50+1	Dong Dang
Beijing Time
4:31+1	6:15+1	Pingxiang
7:01+1	7:04+1	Ningming
8:04+1	8:10+1	Chongzuo
10:07+1	/	Nanning

Note: The above train timetable is for reference only. Please refer to the railway stations for the real-time schedule.

Nanning to Hanoi Train Ticket Price

Soft Sleeper: CNY 300

Tips

1. There is only one kind of train ticket: soft sleeper available between Nanning and Hanoi. If you want to buy the tickets by yourself at the railway station, you’d better to go there as early as possible for the ticket window only sell 44 tickets each day. If you want to save some troubles and get the train easily and smoothly, it is recommended to book the tickets in advance online through booking agencies.
2. For a long-distance train travel, snacks and bottle water are quite necessary. A portable charger can make you worriless while watching TV series or playing video game with your phone. A book can kill the boring time on the train. If you get onboard in a hush and bring nothing to kill time while travelling, you can just watch the scenery outside the window which might help you learn more about the landscape of the two countries.
3. When you take the train, you will be waked up twice at midnight. Once is for leaving China/ Vietnam and the other is for entering Vietnam/ China. So it is advised to prepare your luggage in advance in case that you might forget something when you get off or get in the train.

History

In the year of 2008, China-Vietnam Border Railway Conference was held in Hanoi. The leaders of China and Vietnam both agreed to operate the international train running between Hanoi of Vietnam and Nanning of China from January 1st, 2009 on. The trains were provided by China and the attendants working in the train were Chinese.

On January 1st, 2009, Nanning - Hanoi trains were officially operated. Trains running in China were numbered as T871/ T872 while in Vietnam they were titled as MR1/ MR2. The international train stopped at three railway stations of Vietnam: Dong Dang, Bac Giang and Hanoi (Gia Lam). At first, a few people took the international train running between Nanning and Hanoi (Gia Lam) due to the high cost of the train tickets and the long travel distance.

On April 1st, 2009, China Railway Corporation made some adjustment in the operation of Nanning - Hanoi trains and renamed the train as T8701/ T8702. On 1st September of the same year, Nanning Railway Corporation brought down the ticket price. What’s more, the time that train T8701/ T8702 stopped at Tongdeng Railway Station was reduced from 3 hours to less than 1.5 hours. The departure time of train T8702 from Gia Lam railway station was rescheduled at 10:00 in the afternoon. Since then, passengers were more likely to take Nanning Hanoi trains for the lower ticket price and relatively short travel time.

In 2011, the railway line between Nanning and Pingxiang was updated and trains running along it only needed about 1 hour, directly shortening the travel time of train T8701/ T9702 for about 3 hours. Passengers can travel between China and Vietnam within 13 hours which enable them to have more time experiencing and exploring different customs of the two countries.