Guangxi Local Railway Limited Company, Autumn 2003

Thanks to Adrian Freeman we can offer a full English version below

Survey

• Hechi - Pingzhai/Shangchao
• Sancha - Luocheng - Qiaoerzhan
• Heshan - Laibin
• Guilin
• Quli - Dongluo

Hechi - Pingzhai/Shangchao

Traffic on the system from Hechi (Jingchengjiang in Mandarin) is unchanged from previous reports.

The passenger train timetable:

Train 85812 can run as a double train if the line has reached capacity during busy periods. It then also comprises of train 45311. Unfortunately this very seldom occurs and when it does, it is during the night.

In addition to the trains listed below, there are also trains 56011/12.

For example the full timetable of some of the freights:

Many scheduled trains do not run. The full plan of Kenfu station (local dialect: Kenpu):

The lower section of the line, between Hechi and Puluo has the greatest number of trains. In Puluo the line splits with branches to Pingzhai and to Shangchao. The timetable below shows the trains between Hechi Xi (Jingchengjiang Xi) and the junction station at Puluo:

Each morning the stations are informed by telephone which trains are running. The timings are only very rough guide. Exact train departure times are dependent on when wagons from China Rail are available to pick up from Jingchengjiang. At the coal mines at the railway's termini, trains may be despatched early or late, depending on the speed of loading. Based on five visits, the trains run anywhere between an hour early and two hours late. Information gathered from stations about train times and whether they are running early or late should be treated with utmost caution. Changes are frequent and this often impacts on where trains cross.

Generally only one or sometimes two of the trains timetabled to Shangchao actually run. Not all trains run as far as Shangchao – there is a large cement factory just before Yamai station with a siding. Trains can spend hours here being loaded and then return to Puluo. The line to Pingzhai sees higher traffic levels. In addition to the (still) daily mixed train, there are at least one, generally two and occasionally three return freights. The landscape on both lines is wonderful. Karst mountains, attractive arched bridges, paddy fields and traditional villages can be found almost all the way along the lines. Arched bridges can be found at Gubin, north of Dashapo and immediately south of Kenfu. All other bridges are the usual concrete structures. There are tunnels south of Gubin, in Dashapo and north of Dashapo on the line to Pingzhai and immediately south and north of Yamai on the line to Shangchao. There may be other tunnels and arched bridges that I'm not aware of.

Maps of the line were published on the Report from October 2002. Therefore only the new sketched maps appear.

Mid October 2003 we saw the following locomotives:

• JS 8230 in service
• JS 8284 in service
• JS 8285 in service, last overhaul 8/2003
• JS 8287 in service, last overhaul 5/2002
• JS 8288 in service
• JS 8290 in service
• JS 8373 cold, last overhaul 8/2002
• JS 8375 in service, last overhaul 9/2002
• JS 8376 in service, last overhaul 6/2002

I already published several maps of the Guangxi Local Railway with the October 2002 trip report. Here you'll find some additional ones:

1) Line to Pingzhai (part above Douchuan):

Sancha - Luocheng - Qiaoerzhan

This line belonging to the Guanxi Local Railway Ltd is 55 km west of Liuzhou. Luocheng and the area to the north is a closed area for foreigners. The police station at Luocheng is less than 100 metres from the station on the approach road, so it's best not to stand out too much. The railway workers are very friendly and helpful. Like Hechi, train times vary and can be plus or minus 30 minutes. This is more remarkable since the only train is a mixed, which should run to a fixed timetable.

The time table of the one and only mixt train:

Workings to the coal mines north of Sancha or to the factory at Xinyin don't run daily. Loucheng has a good road connection (road 2025) on which a large proportion of goods is conveyed.

The line can offer many good photo positions, such as the bridge 2 km before Sancha, part of which is of steel lattice construction. The road provides access only near to Sancha (it is possible to drive to Sancha, but it is slow and time consuming) and in the Luocheng area. The line climbs towards Loucheng, sometimes steeply. Beyond Loucheng there are connections to several coal mines. The line then climbs slightly before falling steeply towards Qiaoerzhan, winding its way around karst mountains and crossing the road several times.

The service loco (JS 8374 on 15.10.03) and the reserve both face north. There are no turning facilities so all trains to Sancha run tender first. The depot at Loucheng is nothing special. Watering can also be carried out at a station before Sancha. Various short branches diverge from the line. One of these is beyond Sancha at kilometre 3. The branch goes to a fertiliser factory, which has its own SY for shunting duties. A further industrial spur is at a station beyond Sancha. This factory and station are visible from the Yizhou to Liuzhou motorway. The line passes under the motorway shortly beyond the station.

other maps here

Laibin - Heshan

Laibin is located on the China Rail Liuzhou to Nanning main line approx. 60 km south of Liuzhou. The railway was first built as a narrow gauge line and converted to standard gauge in the early 1970s. It heads west from Laibin, crossing underneath the motorway. The first part of the line passes through gentle hills, small villages and fields of sugar cane. In Baiheai, the line turns northwards. From this station there is a connection to a factory approx. 2 km distant. In Baiheai the line runs very close to the Hongshuihe (Red water river). There is a nice photo from a karst hill here with the river in the background. The river is south of the line and the hills from which one can take the picture are to the north. Cloudy days are therefore better suited for this photo than sunny ones. Beyond Baiheai the line heads north through Heli station, where shunting is often done. In Wangshu the line bends westwards again, before finally turning north again shortly before Heshan. Between Baiheai and Heshan there are many photographic opportunities with karst mountains in the background. There are several industrial spurs in Heshan. One leads to a power station, which needs at least two coal trains a day. This spur is only two kilometres long, but also offers a nice view with the Hongshuihe. The sun (if there is any) is right for a morning shot here. A further spur leads north from Heshan to a coal mine at Dongkuang. On the way there Liuhualing station and a disused connection at Dawanggong passed. This stretch is approx. 7 km long and passes eucalyptus-covered hills. A further disused connection heads south to Lilan and Shangtang.

The railway owns three JS locomotives

• JS 8286 (last overhaul 3/2003)
• JS 8289
• JS 8354

All three locos were in use in mid October 2003.

Passenger and goods traffic were separated from each other in 2000 (mixed trains were run until then). Since then the passenger workings comprise of the combination of a railcar (class TY 210 - "Golden Eagle") - passenger coach (class YZ22) - railcar. There are two daily return workings. The complete timetable is as follows:

On all Guanxi Local Railway Ltd lines, the personnel speak of dieselisation in about 2005. Although the locomotives in Luocheng and Heshan appear to be in good condition, the external condition of those at Hechi leaves a lot to be desired. Overhauls are still being carried out with Liuzhou works being responsible for these. The locos are no longer permitted to work themselves on China Rail to Liuzhou, but must be added to freight workings as goods vehicles.

Further lines of the Guangxi Local Ralway Ltd. Co. with steam operation:

Guilin:

Quli - Dongluo: