China-Laos Railway carries more than 480,000 travelers in 2 years enhancing cross border connectivity.
As of Saturday, the China-Laos Railway has carried 487,000 cross-border passengers from 112 countries and regions since the international passenger service began two years ago, according to China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd.
The 1,035-kilometer railway, connecting Kunming in Yunnan Province, China, to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, has been instrumental in promoting regional economic growth and fostering people-to-people connections, the company stated.
The cross-border passenger service officially commenced on April 13, 2023, further strengthening the railway’s significance as a key project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
To accommodate increasing demand, the railway authorities have introduced several measures, including expanding the frequency of international passenger trains between Xishuangbanna in Yunnan and Luang Prabang in Laos—two popular tourist spots—from four to six days a week, excluding Wednesdays.
The seating capacity on each cross-border passenger train has grown from 250 to 390, and the daily number of inbound and outbound passengers has increased from 300 to as high as 1,300.
The travel time between Kunming South and Vientiane has been reduced by one hour to about 9 hours and 30 minutes, and border customs procedures have been streamlined, cutting wait times from 90 minutes to just 50 minutes.
At the Mohan border checkpoint, multilingual police officers have been deployed to assist travelers with questions about laws, policies, local customs, tourism, and food.
The China-Laos Railway began operations in December 2021.
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