Kunming/Vientiane, December 3rd Topic: To create a golden line of interconnection and common development – the China-Laos Railway realizes the passenger and cargo transportation volume All Quality Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Changshan Ding Yiquan Zhang Jianhua
A train loaded with fruits left the Laos Boten Port, passed through the China-Laos Railway Friendship Tunnel, and entered the Chinese Mohan Railway Port. After the opening of the China-Laos Railway, the comprehensive designated supervision yard at the Mohan Railway Port was officially completed and put into use. The goods from the two countries have achieved one-stop customs clearance, and the railway service capacity has been further enhanced. All eight freight stations in the Laos section have been put into use, and the monthly freight volume has repeatedly hit new highs.
8.5 million passengers were sent, 11.2 million tons of goods were transported, and cross-border cargo transportation covered More than 10 countries and regions… This is the “report card” handed over by the China-Laos Railway. Over the past year, this golden line that spans mountains and rivers and connects China and Laos has allowed people and goods to flow smoothly, and economic and trade cooperation along the line has become closer. It has become a “steel silk road” that accelerates regional connectivity and promotes common development.
Love Full Channel
The China-Laos Railway starts from Kunming in the north and ends in Vientiane, the capital of Laos in the south. The design speed is 160 kilometers, with a total length of more than 1,000 kilometers. The train runs continuously and has been integrated into the daily life of the people of China and Laos along the railway.
“It’s very comfortable and convenient to go everywhere with the train!” Jing Qiao, a 32-year-old resident of Luang Prabang, Laos, told reporters that she took her child to Beijing at the end of last month. When I go to see a doctor in Vientiane, I can go back after the examination. “I used to sit in Vientiane from morning to night, but now I arrive in two hours.”
Passengers prepare to take the China-Laos Railway train at Kunming Station (photographed on November 23, 2022). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hu Chao As of December 2, the China-Laos Railway has transported a total of 8.5 million passengers. Among them, the China section operates a maximum of 65 trains in a single day, transporting 50,000 passengers; the Laos section operates a maximum of 10 trains in a single day, transporting nearly 8,200 passengers. The majority of passengers take the express train across mountains and rivers, not only feel “comfortable”, but also “accurate”. This is inseparable from the persistence of railway workers to ensure safe and punctual operation.
Vilasai, a 23-year-old Laotian, works at the Vientiane Railway Station. He has learned rigor and meticulousness from his Chinese masters, and he is also impressed by the accuracy of the departure time of the China-Laos Railway. profound. “The train must leave on time. From Vientiane to Vang Vieng, and then to Luang Prabang, each item has been carefully planned in advance.” He said.
Yuanjiang Grand Canyon, a red bridge flies across the banks. The Yuanjiang double-track super-large bridge is a control project of the China-Laos Railway. The bridge pier is 154 meters high, which is equivalent to the height of a 50-storey building. In order to ensure the safe travel of passengers, a group of “therapists” in the Pu’er infrastructure section of the China Railway Kunming Bureau inspect the bridge at high altitude at least twice a month.
The railway department makes full use of satellite maps, drones and other technological means, using China‘s independent The production of tamping machines, fine adjustment machines and other equipment has strengthened line inspection, hidden danger rectification and equipment maintenance, ensuring the safety and stability of China-Laos railway transportation.
“The smoothness and comfort of the trains on the China-Laos Railway are very good.” said Wang Gengjie, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd., “Insist on the finest maintenance model, operate this international channel with heart and soul, and create a benchmark for transnational operations.”
Gold Cable
Based on the “hard connectivity” of infrastructure, supported by the “soft connectivity” of rules and standards, and the vision of “heart-to-heart connectivity” between the two peoples, the adaptability of the China-Laos railway supply system to market demand has been continuously improved, promoting Build a cross-border industrial chain supply chain value chain. This golden line has become a fast track to accelerate the development of areas along the line between China and Laos.
Zhaichengzi Village, a Dai village in Guanlei Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, is adjacent to the China-Laos Railway. “The villagers seized the opportunity brought by the railway and turned their small courtyard into a farmhouse to attract tourists.” Yan Hanpeng, the villager group leader of Chengzi Village, said that the railway is the foundation for the development of the village.
The opening of the China-Laos Railway puts an end to the history of no railway between Pu’er, Yunnan and Xishuangbanna. Like Chengzi Village, a number of little-known small villages along the China-Laos Railway have appeared on the list of “tourist destinations” one after another.
In the past year, the number of stations handling passenger transport business on the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway has increased to 10, and the newly purchased “Lancang” EMU and normal-speed passenger trains have realized the The group runs on the same line as the normal-speed train, which meets the needs of the Lao people for studying, visiting relatives, medical treatment, tourism, business and other aspects, and promotes a substantial increase in the number of train tourists. The China-Laos Railway has even become a “check-in” target for tourists from neighboring countries.
According to data from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, after the opening of the China-Laos Railway, the The highest number of passengers transported to Luang Prabang reached more than 2,700 per day, and tourists are generally keen on traveling by rail. In the first 10 months of 2022, 85.27% of the 336,000 tourists chose to travel from Vientiane to Luang Prabang by train.
“Now it is convenient to go to any city, saving a lot of time. The development of tourism in Laos is obvious to all.” Velasai said, “There are many tourists from neighboring countries. Thailand, in particular, has improved the economy of Laotian cities.”
“After the China-Laos Railway was put into use, Thai people liked to experience it very much and would like to take it in the future. The old railways go to China to travel!” Tanyarat, a Thai tour guide who often takes local tourists on Luang Prabang tourist routes, told reporters. The China-Laos Railway has built a convenient logistics channel between China and ASEAN, providing Press the “accelerator key” to develop along the line. Cross-border freight trains have been launched in 25 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China. The types of goods have expanded from more than 10 to more than 1,200. The types of goods have been continuously enriched, reflecting the deepening cooperation between China and neighboring countries such as Laos and Thailand.
According to data from Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd., which is responsible for the operation of the Laos section, from January to October this year, the export trade volume of the Boten Port in Laos, which connects the railways between China and Laos, has exceeded 1.024 billion U.S. dollars, 1.8 times that of 2021. Over the past year, the China-Laos Railway has sent over 1.9 million tons of cross-border cargo, and the volume of cargo has been on the rise.
Activate the tourism economy along the line, promote the development and flow of resources, and promote the expansion and upgrading of industries… The China-Laos Railway has brought real development opportunities to cities along the line of the two countries.
This is the Olive Dam Bridge on the China-Laos Railway in Jinghong City, Yunnan Province, taken on November 19, 2022 (drone photo). Xinhua News Agency (photo by Li Yunsheng) “The China-Laos Railway An important infrastructure for the interconnection of neighboring countries.” Zhu Jiawei, secretary of the Xishuangbanna State Party Committee, said that Xishuangbanna is actively seizing the historical opportunity of the opening of the China-Laos Railway, and is striving to build a new three-dimensional development pattern centered on the China-Laos Railway.
“Since its opening and operation, the China-Laos Railway has achieved both passenger and cargo transportation volume and quality, and has effectively built a golden line, benefiting the people of the two countries and becoming a popular international railway. Public goods and international cooperation platform.” Wang Gengjie said.
“The prosperity of passengers and cargo on the China-Laos Railway is having an impact on Southeast Asian countries. Neighboring countries will promote the continuous construction of the China-Laos Railway to the south, and the China-Thailand Railway will also Accelerate progress.” Du Zhigang, Operations Director of Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd., told reporters.
Wen Pengyu, a 31-year-old Lao youth, is currently studying for a doctorate at Yunnan University. On December 3 last year, he boarded the first train of the China-Laos Railway departing from Kunming and witnessed the opening to traffic. “The experience of studying abroad in China is a ‘plus point’ for employment.” Wen Pengyu said that he hopes to rely on the China-Laos Railway to engage in cross-border trade-related work after graduation.
In July this year, Wen Pengyu’s younger sister, Wan Lisa, took the China-Laos Railway train for the first time. She wrote on social media: Attentive service, convenient travel.
“The China-Laos Railway brought me together with many Chinese friends. We shared Chinese and Lao food, and spent Chinese Spring Festival and Lao Songkran Festival together.” Vientiane Station Lao Chen Shiyu, a passenger on duty, said that getting along day and night made the railway workers of Laos and China at Vientiane Station become good partners who support each other.
The operator is actively building an overseas talent training platform, compiling and publishing Han-Lao bilingual training Textbooks, Chinese language teaching, one-on-one business training, practical drills with teachers and apprentices, and comprehensively improve the post technical level of Lao employees. At present, 590 Lao employees have started work… These win-win practices have been polished. The China-Laos railway culture brand with the theme of “Silk Road, Beauty and Beauty”, continues to write stories of friendship on this new Silk Road.
The Laotian girl Xida is engaged in locomotive maintenance at the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. She said: “I hope I can learn more knowledge, improve my ability, and use what I have learned in practice before the teacher returns to China.”
“The ‘hard connection’ of the railway tracks has brought the people of China and Laos closer.” Heart Unicom’.” Ma Yong, director of the Southeast Asian Institute of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, said that the two countries are geographically close and the people are close, and the China-Laos Railway can be called the New Silk Road of Friendship.
“The Laos-China Railway is just the starting point, not the end. This giant steel dragon carries the friendship, hopes and dreams of the two peoples, and it goes back and forth and goes on and on.” Laos National President Thongloun said in an interview with the media.
Development Road, Happiness Road, Friendship Road… The China-Laos Railway is the foundation for the two countries The people have brought great benefits, and it has also provided a demonstration for the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” and the promotion of building a community with a shared future for mankind. On the new journey, China is joining hands with other countries to promote regional connectivity and coordinated development, and move towards a bright future of common prosperity.