All aboard the connectivity express! ๐ The China-Laos Railway, a cornerstone of the Belt and Road Initiative, has welcomed 487,000 cross-border passengers from 112 countries and regions since its international service launched in 2023. Thatโs enough people to fill over 60 football stadiums!
๐ Boosting Tourism & Trade
This 1,035-kilometer track links Kunming (Chinaโs Yunnan Province) with Vientiane (Laosโ capital), slashing travel time between the two cities to just 9.5 hours โ roughly the length of a Netflix binge-watch session. ๐บโก๏ธ
To meet soaring demand, cross-border trains now run 6 days a week, skipping only Wednesdays. Each trainโs capacity has jumped from 250 to 390 seats, with daily travelers peaking at 1,300 โ a 330% increase! ๐
๐งณ Streamlining Adventures
- Customs wait times cut from 90 to 50 minutes ๐
- Multilingual police assist travelers at Mohan border checkpoint ๐ฃ๏ธ๐ฎ
- Cultural tips and โmust-tryโ local dishes shared onboard ๐
Since its 2021 debut, this railway has become a lifeline for regional economies and cultural exchanges. As one traveler tweeted last week: โItโs like the Hogwarts Express, but for Southeast Asian adventures!โ ๐งณโจ
Reference(s):
China-Laos Railway carries 487,000 cross-border passengers in 2 years
cgtn.com