Passengers board a train in Luang Prabang. (File Photo)

Laos-China Railway carries more than 30 million passengers, eyes larger volume

The Laos-China Railway had carried 30.2 million passengers and 34.24 million tonnes of freight as of March 12 and vows to increase the volume of both passengers and freight, according to the China National Railway Group.
The freight transported includes more than 7.8 million tonnes of cross-border goods, meaning that the railway is playing an increasingly prominent role as a golden international channel, the company said in a press statement sent to the Vientiane Times.
The average number of daily passenger train trips on the Chinese section of the railway has increased from 35 initially to 51 at present, while the number of passengers carried every day has increased from 20,000 to a maximum of 103,000.
On the Lao section of the railway, the average number of daily passenger trains has increased from four to 12, while the number of ordinary-speed passenger trains has grown to more than 10. The number of passengers carried each day has increased from 720 to a maximum of 12,808.
“We will spare no effort to do a good job in the operation and maintenance of station buildings and the inspection and repair of the passenger train servicing depot, so as to ensure the safe operation of the railway,” a civil engineer working for the China Railway Construction Group’s second bid project on the Laos-China Railway, Xiong Taojiang, was quoted as saying.
Since the opening and operation of the railway on December 3, 2021, the railway departments of Laos and China have optimised train operation plans, strengthened railway safety, increased rail transportation capacity supply, and effectively promoted the continuous increase of passenger and freight volumes.
The railway, which is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, has effectively driven the development of logistics, commerce, tourism and other industries alongside the line.
It has also enabled the development of economic zones such as the Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone and the Boten Special Economic Zone. The production of iron ore, cassava flour, rubber and other products in Laos has significantly increased since the railway came into operation.
The types of cross-border goods being carried on the Laos-China Railway have increased to more than 2,900, and freight transport now encompasses 12 “Belt and Road” countries such as Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar, as well as major cities in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and cities in China. 
The cost of logistics involving transport between Vientiane, Laos and Kunming in China has decreased by 40-50 percent compared with the cost prior to the construction of the railway, which has injected new vitality into economic development in areas alongside the railway.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update March 19, 2024)