China-Laos Railway launches cross-border passenger trains linking Kunming, Vientiane

(ECNS) -- The China-Laos Railway will operate international passenger trains running between Kunming South Station in South China's Yunnan province and Vientiane Station in Laos starting from Thursday, according to China Railway Kunming Group.

The international passenger trains will depart in the morning and arrive in the evening, with one train in each direction operating daily.

The trains will stop at eight stations along the way, including Kunming South, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Mohan, Boten, Luang Prabang, Wanrong, Vientiane.

The total travel time, including the time for customs clearance at the railway port, is 10 hours and 30 minutes.

The trains make it possible to travel between Kunming and Vientiane within a day.

The international passenger trains are Fuxing and Lancang high-speed trains, with a maximum operating speed of 160 kilometers per hour. The trains are composed with nine carriages, including one power carriage, one first-class carriage, and one dining carriage, as well as six second-class carriages, with a total capacity of 720 passengers.

There are standard power sockets for both Chinese and Laotian devices located under each seat, and passenger information displays, broadcasts, and service indications are provided in Chinese, Laotian, and English.

At 9:00 am on April 11th Beijing time, the railway departments of the two countries will simultaneously start selling international passenger train tickets.