First China-Laos Railway passenger train departs from Vientiane
By Yang Wenming, Xu Zhangwei and Yang Yongquan (People's Daily App) 15:27, April 13, 2023
The China-Laos Railway started operating international passenger trains in both directions between Kunming and Vientiane on Thursday, allowing passengers to reach their destination on the same day.
The first passenger train departed from the Lao capital Vientiane, at 9:08 a.m. (Beijing Time), heading for Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan Province.
The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project showcasing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, began operation in December 2021, initially hauling cargo and carrying passengers domestically. The railway also serves as a key part of Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.
After the railway’s launch in 2021, passenger train services have been offered along the section between Kunming and the Chinese border town of Mohan, as well as the section connecting Vientiane and Boten, the border town on the Lao side.
As of Sunday, 13.93 million domestic passenger trips had been handled and 18.38 million tons of cargo were transported on the China-Laos Railway.
Click on the video to see how busy the first international passenger departure was at the Vientiane railway station.
(Edited by Xu Zheqi and Liu Ruomeng; with input from Xinhua)
