A photo shows the D888 train traveling on the Olive Dam Bridge of the China-Laos Railway in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, on April 13, 2023.
International route to bring vast array of economic benefits to both nations
The high-profile China-Laos Railway opened to international passengers on Thursday, opening up new doors of opportunity to people on both sides, boosting economic potential and showcasing how the Belt and Road Initiative is a win-win endeavor.
The D887 train, departed from Kunming, Yunnan province, at 8:08 am and arrived at Vientiane, capital of Laos, at 6:38 pm.
An hour after D887's departure, the D888 train departed Vientiane to arrive in Kunming at dawn.
It is the first international cross-border passenger train service that China has put into operation since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 1,035-kilometer railway, which commenced operations on Dec 3, 2021, is a landmark infrastructure project of the BRI.
As of Sunday, 13.93 million domestic passenger trips have been made along it and 18.38 million metric tons of cargo transported. A total of 3.59 million tons were cross-border shipments, according to China State Railway Group, the parent company overseeing construction and operation of the line.
The international passenger service has not been offered until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The service has not only further facilitated the flow of people and trade between China and Laos, but also presses the 'accelerator pedal' for the recovery of tourism and other industries, and injects new impetus to promote development between the two countries," said Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a news conference on Thursday.
"The China-Laos Railway is a model project of China and ASEAN countries working on the BRI and promoting regional economic integration," he said.
