Trans-Asia Rail Line

The Trans-Asia Rail Line is a high-speed rail line currently under construction, connecting Saikyō, Beijing, and Sấếı Gòn. Limited service is currently operating, using high-speed trainsets from Saikyō to Nanning, and switching to diesel-electric locomotives to Sấếı Gòn. Double-tracking to high-speed standards and electrification of the entire route is currently underway to allow high-speed service for the entire route.

The north terminal in Saikyō is New Seogyeong Station, with a stop at Sinuiju. Major stops in the Peoples Republics of China are Beijing, Zhengzhou, Guilin, and Nanning. Crossing into Vietnam, the line has an all-stop at Hanoi, and crosses into Yarphei, with its south terminal at Sấếı Gòn. Limited services branch from Zhengzhou to Guangzhou and Shanghai.

The service is operated by Series 24000 TGV trainsets manufactured by Alstom and 500 Series Shinkansen trainsets manufactured by Hitachi and Kinki Sharyo trains which run at up to 300 kilometres per hour (186 mph) on a network of high-speed lines. The New Main Line in the East Asian Federation opened before Trans-Asia services began in 2010, and lines enabling higher speeds throughout the network are currently under construction in China, Vietnam, and Yarphei.

Conception and Predating Service
The Trans-Asia Rail Line's origins lie in several economic partnerships between the East Asian Federation and the Grand Yarphese Republic after the chartering of the Asian Free Trade Agreement. As AFTA Standard Time was created to facilitate ease of trade and travel, a conventional land link was sought to lower the costs of travel between the two states. A tunnel between the Ryukyu Islands and mainland Yarphei was considered during initial planning was considered, but ruled out due to cost and feasibility concerns. With the completion of the maglev link between Saikyō and Seoul, and the related upgrade of conventional rail lines paralleling the maglev route, talks with the People's Republic of China began to provide high-speed international service, resulting in hourly Yǒuyì service from Tokyo to Beijing in December 2008.

The first formal plan for service between Sấếı Gòn and Saikyō was announced in mid-2009, for start of service by Summer 2011. Several upgrades to the right of way, including massive overhauls of the alignment between the Vietnamese/Chinese border and Sấếı Gòn, while costly, were relatively minor, and conventional diesel service could commence immediately after regional compacts authorizing service were agreed on.

Launch of Service
On October 13, 2010, services began between New Seogyeong International Terminal in Saikyō to Ga Sấếı Gòn in Sấếı Gòn, with an overall average speed of 254 km/h on the fastest express service, making the trip in just over 20 hours. The trip length is expected to decrease to 14 hours once initial upgrades are completed.

Frequencies
There are three levels of services, local, limited-stop, and express. There are 12 locals per day, stopping at all stations, 8 limited-stops per day, stopping at Saikyō, Beijing, Zhengzhoum, Nanning, Hanoi, and Sấếı Gòn, and 4 expresses, stopping at Saikyō, Beijing, and Sấếı Gòn.

Service Connections
Connections with national rail services are available at every major station along the route. The three major terminals, Ga Sấếı Gòn, Beijing Railway Station, and New Seogyeong Station are served by domestic rail services, and in the case of Beijing and New Seogyeong, local urban transport networks. Trans-Asia tickets allow passengers to connect for free to any station along the New Main Line for free via local service, or express service for an upcharge.