First high-speed train from China arrives in Lao capital
Residents of Laos’ capital Vientiane on October 16 witnessed the arrival of the first passenger high-speed train running on the new Laos-China railway line which will, after some test runs, come into full operation in December .
The train arrived at the brand new Vientiane Capital Station, the largest and most important station of the line, in the northern part of Vientiane.
The electrical multiple unit train, which has been named Lan Xang – a former Lao kingdom –, was handed over at a ceremony at the station on Saturday attended by high-ranking Lao and Chinese officials, the Vientiane Times reported.
Laos is now land-linked, not land-locked
They confirmed that operations of the line, which is part of China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative, would commence on December 2, transforming Laos from a landlocked country into one with a land link.
The railway line is currently undergoing a thorough inspection process prior to commissioning after which it will be put into service, signifying the fact that Laos is entering a new era of rail transport since the latter has never played a significant role in Laos’ domestic transport sector.
In the next phase of development, Laos and China would accelerate the construction of facilities alongside the railway to help develop the Laos-China Economic Corridor. This would foster conditions for economic recovery, as well as facilitate closer cooperation between Laos and China, the report said.
With regards to design, the train has been painted red, blue and white to reflect the colours of the Lao flag. It will run at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour and has seven carriages with two classes of seating, providing 720 seats in total.
Railway cuts travel time from two days to three hours
It is expected that the railway will cut the cost of transport from southern to northern Laos and vice versa by 30 to 40 per cent compared to travel by road and also reduce travel time from Vientiane to the China-Laos border from two days to three hours.
Construction of the railway began in December 2016 with total costs of nearly $6 billion, of which $3.6 billion are covered by a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China, with the remainder being raised by the line’s builder and operator Laos–China Railway Company. This is about a third of Laos’ gross domestic product, which has raised concerns about repayment.
The 422-kilometer railway is passing through 75 tunnels with a combined length of 198 kilometers There are ten passenger stations, apart from Vientiane in Phonhong, Vangvieng, Kasy, Luang Prabang, Nga, Xay, Namor, Nateuy and Boten, as well as 22 stations for the loading and unloading of freight.
Residents of Laos’ capital Vientiane on October 16 witnessed the arrival of the first passenger high-speed train running on the new Laos-China railway line which will, after some test runs, come into full operation in December . The train arrived at the brand new Vientiane Capital Station, the largest and most important station of the line, in the northern part of Vientiane. The electrical multiple unit train, which has been named Lan Xang – a former Lao kingdom –, was handed over at a ceremony at the station on Saturday attended by high-ranking Lao and Chinese officials, the Vientiane Times...
Residents of Laos’ capital Vientiane on October 16 witnessed the arrival of the first passenger high-speed train running on the new Laos-China railway line which will, after some test runs, come into full operation in December .
The train arrived at the brand new Vientiane Capital Station, the largest and most important station of the line, in the northern part of Vientiane.
The electrical multiple unit train, which has been named Lan Xang – a former Lao kingdom –, was handed over at a ceremony at the station on Saturday attended by high-ranking Lao and Chinese officials, the Vientiane Times reported.
Laos is now land-linked, not land-locked
They confirmed that operations of the line, which is part of China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative, would commence on December 2, transforming Laos from a landlocked country into one with a land link.
The railway line is currently undergoing a thorough inspection process prior to commissioning after which it will be put into service, signifying the fact that Laos is entering a new era of rail transport since the latter has never played a significant role in Laos’ domestic transport sector.
In the next phase of development, Laos and China would accelerate the construction of facilities alongside the railway to help develop the Laos-China Economic Corridor. This would foster conditions for economic recovery, as well as facilitate closer cooperation between Laos and China, the report said.
With regards to design, the train has been painted red, blue and white to reflect the colours of the Lao flag. It will run at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour and has seven carriages with two classes of seating, providing 720 seats in total.
Railway cuts travel time from two days to three hours
It is expected that the railway will cut the cost of transport from southern to northern Laos and vice versa by 30 to 40 per cent compared to travel by road and also reduce travel time from Vientiane to the China-Laos border from two days to three hours.
Construction of the railway began in December 2016 with total costs of nearly $6 billion, of which $3.6 billion are covered by a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China, with the remainder being raised by the line’s builder and operator Laos–China Railway Company. This is about a third of Laos’ gross domestic product, which has raised concerns about repayment.
The 422-kilometer railway is passing through 75 tunnels with a combined length of 198 kilometers There are ten passenger stations, apart from Vientiane in Phonhong, Vangvieng, Kasy, Luang Prabang, Nga, Xay, Namor, Nateuy and Boten, as well as 22 stations for the loading and unloading of freight.
