Cross-border rail rallies regional connectivity

(China Daily/ANN) -- For more than a century, Europeans have boarded cross-border trains to crisscross the continent, from the iconic Orient Express to the high-speed trains used today.
In Asia, due to geography and geopolitical history, development has traditionally lagged. But all that has changed in recent years as cross-border rail in Southeast Asia, in particular, is undergoing a major transformation driven by infrastructure investment aimed at boosting regional connectivity.

Train attendants present Sun Yiwei (centre), the 50 millionth passenger on the China-Laos Railway, with a gift.

Stemming from China’s southwestern flank, a cross-border rail network is being woven, bringing neighbouring economies closer together.
From the mountains of Laos to the borderlands of Vietnam, these railways are reshaping trade flows, cutting logistics costs and bringing people-to-people exchanges to life. Together, they form a vivid picture of how the “iron dragon” — China’s modern railway system — is connecting the nation more deeply with the world and driving shared prosperity across Asia.
No better can this be seen than in Laos, a landlocked nation whose roughly 500-kilometre northern border butts up against China’s Yunnan province.
For 20-year-old Vilaysay from Oudomxay province in northwest Laos, after he boards the train to attend university across the border in Pu’er in Yunnan, his trip takes just over five hours at a cost of 173 yuan (US$25).
A decade ago, his uncle would spend nearly three days by bus doing the equivalent trip for his own studies.
“The railway has changed everything,” Vilaysay said. “Now it’s easy to study, travel and explore new opportunities in China.”
Since its opening in December 2021, the 1,035-kilometre China-Laos Railway has ended Laos’ history of having no trunk line — a major, long-distance, high-capacity route — and brought about a new era of connectivity. The line has transformed travel times and trade routes, becoming a catalyst for development along its path.
A Chinese proverb says, “When a road opens, a hundred industries thrive”. That has proved true in Laos. With daily trains linking cities and towns, new trade hubs, industrial parks and tourism zones have sprung up near stations. Chinese companies are investing in logistics, clean energy and manufacturing, while Laotians — even in their 70s — are enrolling in night schools to learn Chinese. “Parents want their children to speak Chinese because it means better job prospects,” Vilaysay said.
The railway has also proved a magnet for travelers. As of mid-October, it had operated 85,000 passenger trains and facilitated more than 60 million passenger trips, including over 600,000 cross-border trips for passengers from 115 countries and regions.
The success of the passenger service has been matched by freight growth. In less than four years, the China-Laos Railway has transported over 70 million metric tonnes of goods, becoming a vital artery for trade between China and Southeast Asia.
Products move in both directions — from rubber and tropical fruit from Laos and Thailand to Chinese-made machinery, new energy vehicles and photovoltaic products headed south.
The number of cross-border product categories has expanded from about 500 at launch to over 3,000, while the Mohan Rail Port has become China’s largest rail gateway to Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries.

(Latest Update December 12, 2025)