The China-Laos Railway, a landmark high quality project delivered through Belt and Road cooperation, has set records in passenger and cargo transportation during the Water Splash Festival in Laos since entering service last December, marking a major step forward for regional connectivity and economic cooperation between the two countries and across Southeast Asia.

According to China Railway International Group, the China-Laos Railway has carried out a total of 19,441 passenger trips during the 5-day Water Splash Festival in Laos which ended Sunday and set new records operating eight bullet trains and facilitating 4,718 passengers trips in a single day, the highest level since its launch.

In order to meet the travel demand of the Lao public during the Water-Splash Festival and further improve the passenger and cargo transport capacity, more trains have been added to the route, China Railway International Group said.

During the festival a total of 46 passenger trains, including 36 high speed trains and 10 ordinary speed trains were put into service, allowing for 19,441 passenger trips, with a daily average number of 3,888.

A total of 41 freight trains were operated, including 35 cross-border trains and a total of 23,707 tons of goods were shipped, including 3,910 tons of China’s exports to Laos and 19,797 tons of goods from Laos to China.

The China-Laos Railway, a landmark Belt and Road project, began operating in last December. The electrified passenger and freight rail link covers 1,035 km, including 422 km in Laos, from the city of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, to Lao capital Vientiane.

Since the opening the railway both passenger and cargo throughput have shown strong growth momentum. 

As of Sunday, a total of 524 passenger trains have been operated on the Lao section of the railway, delivering a total of 270,400 passengers trips and 624 cargo trains, transporting 389,400 tons of cargo.

The main cross-border cargo running on the railway includes rubber, fertilizer, electronics, photovoltaic, automobiles, textiles and vegetables.