KUNMING: Even after the summer transportation peak, the China-Laos Railway remains a bustling hub for international freight, as front-end loaders at Kunming, capital of south-west China's Yunnan Province, shuttle busily to load and unload cold-chain containers brimming with durian.
Nearby, the Hongyun International Logistics Port covers an area of about 161,300 square metres. "At the end of 2023, we integrated railway logistics with a comprehensive park," said Li Rongping, chairman of Hongyun International Supply Chain.
This setup provides customers with one-stop services, including warehousing, distribution, packaging, and container storage and repair, Li added.
During the peak durian season, efficient transfer operations take place daily at the container handling platform of the logistics port. In under 40 minutes, around 18 tonnes of durian are transferred from railway containers to trucks and then transported to nearby fruit markets.
"Through the China-Laos Railway's Lancang-Mekong Express, goods can be delivered from Vientiane, Laos, to Kunming in just 26 hours," said Ou Daoqing, head of the marketing department at the starting station of the Kunming International Land Port.
The railway ensures a steady, fast supply of South-East Asian durian, keeping the fruit fresh and flavourful for Chinese consumers.
Since its official opening on Dec. 3, 2021, the China-Laos Railway has served as a convenient logistics channel between China and Asean, with continuously upgraded transport services.
"In early 2022, China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd launched the 'Lancang-Mekong Express' that offers fixed arrival times and faster customs clearance and operation speeds compared to other international cargo trains," said Tian Haowen with the Kunming bureau of China State Railway Group.
Before the railway, South-East Asian durian entered China by road or sea, facing challenges like long transit time, weather-related delays and damage to the fruit.
"The China-Laos Railway has significantly reduced both the damage rate and transportation costs for imported durian," said Wang Hao, general manager of a Sichuan-based import and export company.
The company expects a 20 per cent increase in durian trade volume in 2025 compared to 2024, Wang added.
According to China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd, as of Aug. 26 this year, over 150,000 tonnes of durian have been imported via the China-Laos Railway, a 91 per cent year-on-year increase.
Beyond efficient railway transportation, improved logistics facilities have also energised the durian supply chain. Currently, there are five rail-road combined transport routes for importing durian from Laos to Sichuan, enabling rapid distribution across China.
Recently, a cold chain special train carrying nearly 300 tonnes of durian arrived in Chengdu from Vientiane. After transshipment, the durian was quickly dispatched to fruit markets in Beijing, Xi'an, Lhasa and Guangzhou.
"Going ahead, we plan to expand our import categories to include other popular tropical fruits like mangosteen and longan, leveraging the advantages of the China-Laos Railway and Chengdu International Railway Port," Wang said.
This will bring more quality and affordable South-East Asian products to Chinese consumers, Wang added. - Xinhua
