China-Laos Railway boosts regional economy two years after launch

BEIJING -- The China-Laos Railway has increased its transport capacity and efficiency since it was launched two years ago, boosting regional economic development, China's railway operator said on Saturday.

The railway has handled 24.2 million passenger trips and transported 29.1 million tonnes of cargo as of Saturday, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

The monthly passenger trips handled by the railway have grown significantly from more than 600,000 at the beginning of its operation to more than 1.1 million now, the railway operator said.

The two countries' railway authorities have also strengthened cargo transport collaboration, with the number of daily cross-border freight trains rising from two in the initial operation period to 14 two years later.

Regional logistics, capital flow, and personnel communication have been facilitated thanks to the railway, according to China's railway operator.

Only about ten types of cross-border goods were transported when the railway was first put into operation. Currently, the figure has soared to more than 2,700, including electronics, photovoltaics, and automobiles, driving up the output of iron ore and rubber in Laos.

The China-Laos Railway connects Kunming in Yunnan Province with the Laotian capital Vientiane. The 1,035-km railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, started operation on Dec. 3, 2021.