KUNMING, July 8 (Xinhua) - Cross-border freight transported via the China-Laos Railway has exceeded 20 million tonnes since the line opened in December 2021, marking another milestone for this international rail corridor, local railway authorities said on Wednesday.

As of Wednesday morning, the railway had handled more than 20 million tonnes of cross-border cargo and operated over 23,000 cross-border freight train trips, according to China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd.

A Fuxing bullet train runs on the China section of the China-Laos Railway on Jan 27, 2023. (File photo: Xinhua)

Since the railway began operation on Dec. 3, 2021, railway authorities in China and Laos have worked closely to improve freight organization and enhance transport capacity and efficiency, driving steady growth in cross-border cargo volumes.

The railway transported more than 1 million tonnes of cross-border cargo within its first year of operation. The cumulative volume surpassed 5 million tonnes by the end of 2023 and exceeded 10 million tonnes by the end of 2024.

Cross-border freight transport has continued to maintain strong momentum this year. The railway has transported a cumulative 3.16 million tonnes of cross-border cargo so far in 2026, averaging about 17,000 tonnes per day and registering steady year-on-year growth, further underscoring its role as a corridor linking China with Southeast Asia.

The railway now carries goods to and from 19 countries and regions, including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh. The range of commodities transported has expanded from just over 10 categories when the railway first opened to more than 3,800 today.