A worker stands next to carts loaded with baggage and parcels at the platform of Vientiane Station of the China-Laos Railway, in Vientiane, Laos, June 22, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

A new intercity train service linking Boten in northern Laos with the capital Vientiane was launched on Monday, further improving the passenger transport network on the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway and making same-day trips between northern Laos and the capital possible.

At 8 am local time on Monday, the C95 train departed from Boten Station, marking the launch of the Boten-Vientiane intercity train service on the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The new C95/C96 intercity trains provide a more efficient and convenient connection between Boten and Vientiane, according to the company operating the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway. 

The C95 train departs Boten at 8 am and arrives at Vientiane Station at 11:47 am, while the C96 leaves Vientiane at 2:05 pm and returns to Boten at 6:32 pm, Xinhua reported.

The service stops at six stations - Boten, Nateuy, Muang Xay, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane. It allows residents of northern Laos traveling to Vientiane for commuting, business or family visits to make a round trip within the same day, according to the report.

The company said that the launch will further improve the passenger transport network on the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway, provide more travel options for local residents and support the development of tourism and related industries along the route.

 "The service will also provide stronger transport support for the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor and Belt and Road cooperation," it added.

The new service comes as passenger and freight traffic on the China-Laos Railway continues to expand, strengthening transport links between China and Laos.

The 1,035-kilometer railway, running from Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan Province to Vientiane, opened on December 3, 2021, establishing a major land transport artery linking Southwest China with the Indochina Peninsula, according to information published by Kunming authorities.

International passenger services on the China-Laos Railway began on April 13, 2023. Since the railway opened, monthly passenger traffic across the line has risen from about 600,000 to a peak of 2.25 million. In the first eight months of this year, 972 international passenger trains carried 244,000 cross-border passenger trips, up more than 50 percent year-on-year, official data showed.

Freight volumes have also continued to climb. As of August 18, 2026, the railway had carried more than 90 million tons of cargo, including more than 21 million tons of cross-border freight. More than 80,000 freight trains had run on the line, including more than 23,000 cross-border services, according to the Kunming municipal government.