China-Laos Railway records over 100,000 cross-border passengers

This aerial photo taken on Nov. 23, 2022 shows a Fuxing bullet train running on the Yuanjiang bridge of the China-Laos Railway in southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

KUNMING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway, which launched its international passenger service on April 13, has transported over 100,000 cross-border passengers as of Tuesday, the Mohan border checkpoint has said.

Some 14,900 of those passengers were foreigners, according to Mohan's entry-exit frontier inspection station on the China-Laos border. The Mohan railway port handled 474 passenger trains during the period.

Since the launch of its cross-border passenger service, the railway has become the preferred mode of transport for a growing number of international travelers due to its affordability, convenience and comfort.

The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, began operations in December 2021. The 1,035-kilometer railway connects Kunming in China with Vientiane in Laos.

Thanks to streamlined customs clearance procedures, it now takes just nine-and-a-half hours to travel from Kunming to Vientiane by train.