The Kunming Railway Bureau Group of China has learned that as of October 15th. The international passenger trains of the China-Laos Railway have transported a total of 600,000 cross-border international passengers from 115 countries and regions around the world. This year, the number has reached 204,000, showing a significant increase.
The distance between Kunming and Vientiane is over 1,000 kilometers. However, the fast bullet train can reach there in just 9 hours and 30 minutes. Every day, on the international passenger train of the China-Laos Railway. Tourists of different skin colors and speaking different languages come in a continuous stream. People crowd the train, laughing and chatting joyfully.
To meet the increasingly diverse cross-border travel needs of tourists. The railway departments of China and Laos have continuously optimized the train operation plans. Following the success of the first international passenger train from Kunming to Vientiane launched on April 13, 2023, railway authorities will further enhance services by operating an international passenger train from Xishuangbanna (Pu’er) to Luang Prabang on weekends starting from April 13, 2024. Furthermore, starting from July 18 this year, railway authorities have again expanded the operation range of international passenger trains by extending the running section of the service from Pu’er to Luang Prabang to the Kunming to Vientiane route.
This service has thus become the second pair of international passenger trains running between Kunming and Vientiane. Each cross-border passenger train now has 420 seats. And the maximum number of people entering and exiting the country each day reaches over 1,400. The number of Lao people seeking education or medical treatment in China’s Kunming and Xishuangbanna is increasing day by day. And Chinese people going to Laos for business or setting up enterprises are also coming in a continuous stream. This has built a convenient bridge for the personnel exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.
According to statistics, 600,000 tourists from 115 countries and regions including Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, the United States, and the United Kingdom traveled by cross-border international passenger trains. The increasing number of passengers has boosted the tourism-related industries along the routes, such as scenic spots, hotels, and restaurants. Accelerating the flow of passengers, logistics, and information, and injecting strong vitality into regional economic development.
