Presidents to witness new rail link opening

The China-Laos Railway is 1,024 kilometers long and has a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour. It runs from Kunming, capital of Yunnan, passing through a total of 13 passenger and freight stations in the province, before leaving China at Mohan port, heading for Vientiane, the Laotian capital. There are 10 such stations on this line in Laos.

When the line starts operating, passengers will be able to arrive in Vientiane the same day that they leave Kunming, according to the Yunnan Department of Transport.

The department said the new service is a major program conforming to China's Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' aim to "turn a landlocked country into a land-linked country "to promote trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between China and Laos, as well as neighboring countries.

The railway will also help improve transportation in Laos, drive the regional economy, promote poverty reduction and benefit people's livelihoods, the department said.

Thepmoukda Phetsalath, 26, from Laos, said she is looking forward to traveling to China with her mother after the route opens.

After graduating from Tongji University in Shanghai in 2019, Phetsalath landed a job at the Laos-China Power Investment Co, a joint venture in Laos. She did translation and interpretation work while the line's external power supplies were connected.

"The railway will bring great opportunities and convenience to Laotians, and improve our lives," she said, adding she felt honored to contribute to the project.