KPL
(KPL) The Laos-China Railway launched on Thursday cross-border passenger trains connecting Vientiane, the capital of Laos, with Kunming in the southwestern province of Yunnan, China.
Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suansavanh Viyaketh.
(KPL) The Laos-China Railway launched on Thursday cross-border passenger trains connecting Vientiane, the capital of Laos, with Kunming in the southwestern province of Yunnan, China.
The historic train left Vientiane at 8 a.m with Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suansavanh Viyaketh onboard. She was accompanied by Vice Mayor of Vientiane Phouvong Vongkhamxao, and Director of the Laos-China Railway.
“Laos-China railway is a cooperation project jointly promoted by Party and government leaders of Laos and China. It is a symbol of friendship of the new era between Laos and China, and Laos’ strategic project aimed at transforming itself into a landlinked country realizing Lao people’s dream and anticipation,” said Minister Suansavanh Viyaketh.
She added that such an achievement resulted from joint efforts in implementing President Xi Jinping’s “Belt and Road Initiative”.
The train will travel at a speed of up to 160 km per hour through mountains and valleys. There are eight stations along the route that stretches over 1,000 km, and the journey takes 10 and a half hours.
Two cross-border passenger trains will operate daily with one from Vientiane and another one from Kunming.
Since its launch in 2021, the Laos-China Railway has carried up to 13.93 million domestic passengers and 18.38 million tonnes of cargo as of Sunday.
KPL
