Malaysia to tap into the growing Asean rail network

The 1,000km long Lao-China Railway has transformed how goods and people move across the Mekong region, with spillover benefits for Malaysia, Thailand and other Asean countries. Seen here is a passenger trainset (right) at Laos' Luang Prabhang station, while cargo wagons are parked at the sidings to be moved according to schedules that do not clash with passenger services. — MENG YEW CHOONG/The Star

HISTORY was made on June 27, 2024, when ambassadors and representatives from China, Laos, and Thailand gathered at Kontena Nasional’s yard in Petaling Jaya in Selangor, Malaysia, to send off the inaugural Asean Express, a cargo train hauling 20 wagons laden with various goods from Malaysia for the export market.

The cargo wagons left Malaysian territory at Padang Besar, Perlis, before heading in to Bangkok, crossing the Mekong River that divides Thailand and Laos, and entering Lao territory at the Thanaleng freight yard near Vientiane.