坐着火车去老挝！首趟中老铁路国际旅客列车正式开行

4月13日，备受瞩目的中老铁路国际旅客列车正式开行，昆明至万象间可实现乘火车朝发夕至，为两国民众带来机遇福祉，助力经济发展，并充分展示“一带一路”倡议如何让两国实现互利双赢。

The high-profile China-Laos Railway opened to international passengers on Thursday, opening up new doors of opportunity to people on both sides, boosting economic potential and showcasing how the Belt and Road Initiative is a win-win endeavor.

The D887 train, departed from Kunming, Yunnan province, at 8:08 am and arrived at Vientiane, capital of Laos, at 6:38 pm. 

An hour later, the D888 train departed Vientiane to arrive in Kunming at dawn.

2023年4月13日，列车员在昆明南站站台迎接旅客。图源：视觉中国

The 1,035-kilometer railway, which commenced operations on Dec 3, 2021, is a landmark infrastructure project of the BRI. 

As of Sunday, 13.93 million domestic passenger trips have been made along it and 18.38 million metric tons of cargo transported. A total 3.59 million tons were cross-border shipments, according to China State Railway Group, the parent company overseeing construction and operation of the line.

It is the first international cross-border passenger train service that China has put into operation since the COVID-19 pandemic.

图源：视觉中国

“The service has not only further facilitated the flow of people and trade between China and Laos, but also presses the ‘accelerator pedal’ for the recovery of tourism and other industries, and injects new impetus to promote development between the two countries,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a news conference on Thursday.

Suanesavanh Vignaket, Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, welcomed Chinese tourists on Thursday at the city of Boten at the Laotian border with China. 

“In 2019, before the epidemic, 1 million Chinese travelers visited Laos, about 21 percent of all travelers visiting Laos. Now we have the China-Laos Railway, which can provide more choices for Chinese travelers to Laos,” she said. 

On Thursday morning, Liu Jin and his 60-year-old mother boarded the train. He was so excited to be one of the first to experience the cross-border service. He took photos of their tickets and passports and posted them on social media platform

Liu, 32, has traveled to Laos eight times in the past. He had traveled by bus, air, water and motorcycle, but for the ninth time he took the train. 

“Traveling by train is much more comfortable, convenient and fast,” he said, adding that by train, he was confident to take his 60-year-old mother with him. 

2023年4月13日，身着民族服饰的列车员为旅客带来特色节目。图源：视觉中国

Born and raised in Northwestern China’s Liaoning province, Liu is fascinated by the climate in Laos. 

“Natural views are great there. I love the crystal sky and tranquil life, as well as heartwarming people,” he said.

Lamphone Thipmala, a native of Vientiane, also took the train on Thursday. 

“It is a pleasant and comfortable journey,” she noted, adding that she will take the train again. 

She studied in Guangzhou, Guangdong province before the pandemic and usually traveled between home and school by plane.

The 27-year-old is studying railway transportation and hopes to become a teacher at a railway vocational school in Vientiane. 

“China’s trains are so fast and advanced, and I hope I can learn more to teach students in my country, that we can have better railway and trains in the future,” she said.

图源：视觉中国

“The opening of the China-Laos Railway, especially the cross-border passenger service, makes travel between Kunming and Vientiane very convenient,” said Su Yisheng, an expert in Southeastern Asian relations from Yunnan Social Studies Academy.  

“Compared with over 40 hours of cross-border bus, it is much more comfortable for people traveling by train, benefiting those with travel needs between the two countries, such as students, tourists and business people.” 

He quoted a World Bank estimate that the gross domestic product in Laos will be increased by 21 percent as a result of the construction and operation of China-Laos Railway. 

It will also create more jobs for Laotian people, he added. 

“This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI project. China-Laos Railway, as the landmark transport project of the BRI, has turned Laos from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub. It is a win-win project for China and Laos and has benefited people from both sides,” he said.

In the 10 and a half hours, the bullet train will stop at eight railway stations, four in China and the rest in Laos. Passenger will go through customs clearance two times at two railway borders, respectively. 

Starting Thursday, two international passenger train services are operated every day— from Kunming, capital of Yunnan province to Vientiane and back.

The trains, with one first-class coach, six second-class coaches and one dining car, can take up to 720 passengers.

Chinese and Lao standard power sockets are available under each seat. Onboard information such as broadcasting and signs will be offered in Chinese, Lao and English.

At the beginning of the service's operation, international services will be offered in three coaches and domestic services will be provided in five coaches according to the forecast of cross-border passenger flow. Adjustments will be made based on passenger flow, and international and domestic travelers will be placed in different coaches.

International passengers have to go through customs clearance twice. When the outbound train arrives at the Chinese border in Mohan, cross-border travelers have to take all their belongings off the train, go through departure procedures and then return. When the train arrives at Boten, the border station in Laos, passengers have to repeat the process.

It takes about three hours to finish customs clearance at the two borders, and the process is the same for passengers in the other direction.