According to a news agency, as of March 12, the Laos-China Railway has transported 30.2 million passengers and 34.24 million tonnes of freight, with plans to further increase both passenger and freight volumes. Initially, the Chinese section of the railway operated an average of 35 passenger train trips per day, which has now risen to 51. Daily passenger numbers have surged from 20,000 to a peak of 103,000.
On the Laos section, the average number of daily passenger trains has increased from four to 12, with over 10 ordinary-speed passenger trains now running. Daily passenger figures have jumped from 720 to a maximum of 12,808.
Xiong Taojiang, a civil engineer from the China Railway Construction Group’s second bid project on the Laos-China Railway, emphasized their commitment to ensuring the railway’s safe operation through diligent maintenance of station buildings and the passenger train servicing depot.
Since its inauguration on December 3, 2021, the railway administrations of Laos and China have been refining train operation schedules, enhancing railway safety measures, augmenting rail transportation capacity, and effectively facilitating the steady growth of both passenger and freight volumes.
Part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the railway has been instrumental in driving the development of logistics, commerce, tourism, and various other industries along its route. Furthermore, it has catalyzed the establishment of economic zones like the Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone and the Boten Special Economic Zone.
The operationalization of the railway has led to a significant uptick in the production of commodities such as iron ore, cassava flour, and rubber in Laos. The range of cross-border goods transported via the Laos-China Railway has expanded to encompass over 2,900 varieties.
Freight transportation now spans across 12 “Belt and Road” countries, including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar, as well as numerous major cities within 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China.
The introduction of the railway has led to a notable reduction in logistics costs for transportation between Vientiane, Laos, and Kunming, China, by 40-50 percent compared to pre-railway construction expenses. This significant cost reduction has infused fresh vigor into the economic growth of regions bordering the railway route.