China-Laos Railway transports 244,000 passenger trips in first 8 months, up 50%
Photo: Courtesy of China Railway Kunming Group Co
The China-Laos Railway transported 244,000 cross-border passenger trips in the first eight months of this year, up more than 50 percent year-on-year, China Railway Kunming Group Co announced on Wednesday.
As of Monday, the railway had operated a total of 3,789 cross-border passenger trains, serving 926,000 cross-border traveler trips from more than 120 countries and regions.
Cross-border passenger services have emerged as a key growth engine for the railway. On April 13, 2023, international passenger trains began operating in both directions between Kunming South Station in Southwest China's Yunnan Province and Vientiane, the Lao capital, providing a more convenient option for travel and tourism between the two countries.
The route now operates four international passenger trains daily, with the fastest journey taking nine hours and 36 minutes. Customs clearance at the Mohan railway port now takes about 50 minutes.
The number of cross-border passenger seats has increased from 250 at the initial launch to 420, and daily passenger crossings have risen from about 300 at the beginning to a peak of 1,640.
The China-Laos Railway links renowned tourist cities along its route, including Kunming, Xishuangbanna and Vientiane, as well as more than 560 scenic spots.
During this year's summer travel rush from July 1 to September 1, the Mohan railway port processed more than 57,000 entry-exit travelers from 72 countries and regions, a year-on-year increase of more than 51 percent, with a single-day peak exceeding 1,100 passenger clearances.
Cross-border tourism, study tours, and business travel have continued to heat up, while consumption in industries such as scenic attractions, hotels, and catering along the route has grown by more than 35 percent, according to the China Railway Kunming Group Co.
Stretching 1,035 kilometers from Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan Province to the Lao capital of Vientiane, the China-Laos Railway commenced operations on December 3, 2021.