A crane transfers containers to a train on a Laos-China railway at Thanaleng Dry Port. - Thanaleng Dry Port
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/Asia News Network): The Laos-China Railway transported nearly 6.7 million tonnes of cargo from January to April this year, up 156 per cent year on year, Xinhua reported.
This has brought the total cargo volume transported by the railway since it began operation 17 months ago to more than 20 million tonnes.
A crane transfers containers to a train on a Laos-China railway at Thanaleng Dry Port. --Photo Thanaleng Dry Port
The railway has seen its freight portfolio expand from over 10 categories in the initial stage to more than 2,000, according to the news agency, citing the China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd.
Mechanical equipment, household appliances, vegetables and flowers are among the main goods the railway delivered from China to Laos.
Meanwhile, metallic ore and cassava are among the main products transported from Laos to China.
Of the cargo transported, the volume of cross-border transportation topped 4 million tonnes, worth about 17.7 billion yuan (about US$2.54 billion).
Open for service since December 2021, the railway - part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative – has been increasingly used for cross-border transport among countries in the region, thanks to its cost-effective services.
ore Lao entrepreneurs are exploring more business opportunities brought by the railway. This week, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry held talks with the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. to discuss various projects related to business cooperation schemes.
They included cooperation between Lao businesses and the company relating to the advertising and distribution of goods at stations, transport and warehouse services, tourism and culture, and development of projects along the railway route.
The two parties also agreed to hold a meeting between Lao businesses and the Laos-China Railway Company at the end of this month to discuss cooperation in transporting goods by rail.
The 1,035-km railway, which connects China’s Kunming with Vientiane in Laos, has also seen rapid growth in passenger transport, boosting both tourism and business operations.
It transported 14.43 million passengers in China and Laos over its first 500 days of operation.
In Chinese territory, the railway transported 12.19 million passengers with a maximum daily train volume of 70 and a passenger volume of 74,000. In Lao territory, the railway has transported 2.24 million passengers with a maximum daily train volume of 10 and passenger volume exceeding 10,000.
