Qingming, China: Opening up the regional economic artery of the old railway to "poetry and far away"

China News Service reporter Liu Wenwen

"Enjoy Mengla tropical rain forest in the morning and visit the ancient city of Luang Prabang at dusk", the China-Laos railway, which starts from Kunming, Yunnan, China in the north and ends in Vientiane, Laos in the south, is turning "poetry and distance" into daily life.

The latest data shows that since the China-Laos Railway was put into operation on December 3, 2021, it has sent more than 59 million passengers and transported more than 67.6 million tons of goods. This 1,035-kilometer cross-border railway not only connects the scenery of China and Laos in series, but also becomes a "golden artery" to promote regional economic development.

So far, travelers from 115 countries have taken the international passenger train of the Sino Old Railway, they travel all over the world, visit Yunnan, see China.

"This railway is comfortable and fast, it will bring new development opportunities." after visiting Beijing, Chengdu and other places in China, British tourists Nikita and Messi, who are on the old railway to Laos, told reporters of China News Agency.

In another wagon, Laos tourist Mos told, she had traveled to China several times, "I have been to Shanghai, Sichuan and Guizhou, before I came to China only by plane, now by rail not only half the price, but also very comfortable and clean."

The China-Laos Railway is rich in tourism resources, connecting famous tourist cities such as Kunming, Yuxi, Pu'er and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan and Luang Prabang, Wanrong and Vientiane in Laos, covering more than 560 tourist attractions. Every day, the international passenger train of China-Laos Railway is crowded with people, and tourists can cross the border in just a few hours' drive to enjoy multiculturalism and beautiful landscapes.

As the heat of cross-border tourism continues to climb, the railway continues to increase the number of trains, the one-day bus service in China increased from 8 to the highest 86 trains, and the one-day bus service in Laos increased from 4 to the highest 18.

The Deputy Minister of Transportation Production of Old China Railway Co., Ltd. Ma Miyang introduced that, driven by Laos' annual tourism visa-free policy, the old railway passenger flow reached its peak in 2024, and this year's passenger traffic continued to grow.

At the same time as passenger traffic is busy, the freight potential of China¡¯s old railway continues to be unleashed.Since the launch of the international freight train of the old railway ¡°La Mekong Express Line¡± on January 10, 2022, more and more ¡°tropical fruits¡± have arrived in China.

On September 19, an international freight train of the Sino-Old Railway "La Mecca Express Line" with a load of goods departed from Kunming along the Sino-Old Railway to Wenzhou.

"The granite harvested in Thailand tonight, the next morning in Kunming can be eaten." - China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd. - The general secretary of the Party's secretary-general of the Puang Railway Branch Mule Station introduced himself, in just 26 hours, the "La Meca Express Line" international freight train can deliver Laos all kinds of fresh goods to China Kunming.

Zhou Mingbo, deputy director of 95306 Freight Logistics Service Center of China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd., said that at present, about 2,100 refrigerated containers have been put into China-Laos Railway, transporting temperate fruits and vegetables from China to Laos on the outbound journey, and tropical fruits on the return journey. Up to now, 413,000 tons of tropical fruits have been transported.

Since the opening of China-Old Railway, the cross-border transportation commodity range has expanded from the initial 10 to more than 3,300, and more and more goods are "sitting" on the cross-border trains.Motor-electric iron mine, vegetables and granite, such scenarios are almost daily on the China-Old Railway, and the China-European line and ASEAN market are also seamlessly linked.

Data show that as of September 19, cross-border cargo transportation on the China-Laos railway exceeded 15 million tons, and the transportation map has covered 19 countries and regions including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangladesh, as well as domestic 31 provinces (autonomous regions) and municipalities.

More and more enterprises and people along the route carry this "golden channel" to share the development dividend. Zili said that with the further improvement of customs clearance efficiency, the volume of cross-border cargo transportation is expected to exceed 5 million tons this year, reaching a new high. (End)