New train builds efficiency for China and Asean trade

The new efficient, stable cold chain channel is expected to inject new impetus into trade between China and member states of Asean. — Bloomberg

BEIJING: The China-Laos-Thailand round-trip train, an extension of the China-Laos Railway, was successfully launched on Tuesday.

The new efficient, stable cold chain channel is expected to inject new impetus into trade between China and member states of Asean.

The train, which runs between Kunming, Yunnan province, and Bangkok, Thailand, consists of 19 cold chain containers able to carry 286 tonnes of fresh vegetables, with a total travel time of 55 hours.

According to China Railway Kunming Group Co Ltd, the operator of the railway, the train will first travel to the Vientiane station in Laos, undergo transshipment and then arrive in Bangkok.

Compared with the previous mode of railway plus highway transportation, the transportation time is one day shorter and the cost is at least 20% lower.

When the train travels back, it will carry a full load of seasonal fruit such as longan and durian.

Xiao Kunman, chief executive officer of the South-East Asia branch of ZTO Express, said that the China-Laos-Thailand round-trip train created a full-link service network integrating Customs clearance, cold chain transportation and supply chain services. — China Daily/ANN