Xinhua News Agency, Kunming, March 13th, title: China-Laos Railway’s 100-day “Golden Line” helps the development along the line
Xinhua News Agency reporter Ding Yiquan
On March 12, the China-Laos Railway celebrated its 100th day of operation. According to the statistics of China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd., the freight volume of the China-Laos railway exceeded 1.2 million tons within 100 days of operation, of which the total cross-border cargo exceeded 280,000 tons; the number of passengers sent exceeded 1.8 million. This “Golden Route”, which starts from Kunming, China in the north, and Vientiane, Laos, in the south, has achieved initial results in helping the development along the route.
On December 3, 2021, the China-Laos Railway opened. The Wangjiaying West Station in Kunming, the starting point for international freight trains on the China-Laos Railway, is becoming more and more lively. Every day, trains between Kunming and Vientiane load and unload goods here. “The China-Laos railway international freight train makes the logistics and transportation between China and Laos fast and cost-controllable, and is favored by cargo owners.” said Xu Chao, deputy general manager of China Railway Union Kunming Branch.
Haofeng International Logistics Co., Ltd. has been rooted in Laos for more than ten years. “Benefiting from the opening of the China-Laos Railway, we have successfully transformed from a land logistics company to a diversified logistics company. The logistics business has grown exponentially, and the company’s development has entered the fast lane.” Wang Lijun, chairman of the company, introduced that “road-rail combined transport” and “one stop” Modern logistics such as “customs clearance” not only improve the timeliness of cargo transportation, but also greatly reduce logistics costs.
At present, Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan and other 13 provinces and cities have successively launched international freight trains to Laos via the China-Laos Railway. While the international freight volume of the China-Laos Railway has steadily increased, the categories of goods have been continuously enriched, from rubber and fertilizers in the early days of opening to electronic products, communication equipment, automobiles, flowers and other products.
“The increasing abundance of goods reflects the deepening trade cooperation between China and Laos.” Miao Yingyou, deputy director of the freight department of the China Railway Kunming Bureau Group, introduced that in order to improve the freight quality of the China-Laos railway, the China Railway Kunming Bureau Group and the Laos-China Railway Company launched freight forwarding. The product “Lanmei Express Line” takes only 26 hours to travel from Kunming to Vientiane, which is further compressed than the running time of ordinary international freight trains.
“With the development of China-Laos railway freight, we are more confident in the expansion of the Southeast Asian market.” said Yang Jie, head of the Kunming branch of Shanghai Rencheng Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. In January 2022, the company began to expand its business in Laos. The package has been shipped from Vientiane to Kunming.
The China-Laos Railway opened a new era of railway transportation in Laos, and also ended the history of China’s Pu’er and Xishuangbanna without railways. It takes only 2.5 hours from Kunming to Pu’er in China, more than 3 hours from Kunming to Jinghong; 2 hours from Vientiane to Luang Prabang in Laos, and 3.5 hours from Vientiane to Boding.
The efficient and convenient China-Laos Railway has quickly become a popular means of transportation for passengers along the line. It has transported more than 1.8 million passengers in 100 days. At present, 23.5 pairs of passenger cars are operated on average daily in the China section, and 2 pairs of passenger cars are operated in the Laos section each day.
Yunnan Landian Technology Co., Ltd. established a branch in Vientiane, Laos in 2021, mainly engaged in Internet and big data related businesses. “Our company also has customers in Vang Vieng, Laos. Lao employees take the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway to travel between Vientiane and Vang Vieng, which is very convenient.” Guo Tao, deputy general manager of the company, said, more importantly, the China-Laos Railway helps complement the advantages along the line. , continue to stimulate more cooperation and cultivate new trade growth points.