Photo: CFP

 
The China-Laos Railway has carried over 59 million passenger trips (48.6 million in China) since its launch on December 3, 2021, demonstrating robust growth in cross-border railway transport and people-to-people exchanges, according to the railway operator.

The China Railway Kunming Group Co said that as of Saturday, it had operated 83,000 passenger train services, serving more than 580,000 international travelers from 115 countries and regions. Many used the line to visit Vientiane in Laos, tour Yunnan Province in Southwest China, and experience China, CCTV News reported on Sunday.
 
This achievement reflects a significant transformation in regional connectivity, evolving from "accessibility to smoothness, from smoothness to speed, and from speed to prosperity," providing strong support for the economic and social development along the railway, said the CCTV News report.

As a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, the 1,035-kilometer railway connects Kunming in Yunnan Province and the Laotian capital of Vientiane. It has strengthened regional connectivity, spurred economic growth, facilitated people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and shown strong potential as a golden transport corridor, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Demand for cross-border travel remains strong. The China-Laos Railway recorded 14.5 million passenger trips this year, representing an increase of 3.2 percent year-on-year, according to the data. Of these, 11.9 million passengers traveled on the Chinese section, while 2.6 million used the Laotian section, CCTV News reported.

Passenger traffic has grown steadily, with monthly ridership rising from 600,000 in the initial phase to more than 1.6 million across the entire route, according to CCTV News.

Moreover, it has significantly boosted tourism along the route. The number of passenger trains operating daily on the domestic section has surged from 8 to a peak of 86, cumulatively sending 48.6 million passengers. On the Laotian section, services increased from 4 to up to 18 trains per day, the company said.

To meet rising demand, railway authorities from China and Laos have partnered with tourism departments to promote international travel services along the railway. These services include supporting foreign bank card payments, offering cash withdrawal services in Chinese yuan, improving the ticketing system for international passengers, and expanding online ticket sales and payment options for international passengers, according to the company.

The number of cross-border passenger seats has expanded from an initial 250 to 420 per train. Daily entries and exits have risen from 300 to a peak of 1,300, said the company.

China's expanding visa-free policy, together with the convenience of the China-Laos Railway have boosted tourism along the route. In particular, the China-Laos Railway, connecting renowned tourist destinations such as Kunming and Xishuangbanna in China with Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos, has rapidly become a "golden route" connecting China and Southeast Asia, attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists thanks to its efficient and convenient transportation, rich ethnic cultures, and breathtaking scenery and cuisine, said a Chinese expert.

Global Times