UXO clearance of China-Laos railway's 1st phase almost completed

VIENTIANE - The clearance of unexploded ordnances (UXOs) from land allocated along the China-Laos railway and its two small stations, Boten immigration checkpoint and Natuay, a loading station in Lao northern Luang Namtha province, has been almost completed, reported Lao state-run news agency KPL on Thursday.

This was part of the construction of the first phase of China-Laos railway project, running 52.9 km from Boten, the China-Laos border checkpoint to Namor district in Luang Namtha Province that will then run another 16.9 km through Luang Namtha Province where two small stations will be built, namely the Boten immigration checkpoint and the Natuay cargo loading station.

In Luang Namtha Province, some 360 km northwest of Lao capital Vientiane, the project includes the construction of seven bridges with a total length of about 4 km and the drilling of three tunnels with a total length of 10 km.

The progress was reported to Lao Minister of Public Works and Construction Bounchanh Sinthavong, who is also head of the steering committee for China-Laos railway construction project during his recent working visit to monitor and inspect the progress of railway construction in Luang Namtha Province.

The China-Laos railway has a total length of 414.332 km with over 62.7 percent of bridges and tunnels, linking Mohan-Boten border gate in northern Laos and capital Vientiane. Operating speed on the route is designed at 160 km per hour. Construction of the project is scheduled for five years with investment of some 40 billion Chinese yuan ($5.8 billion), 70 percent of which comes from Chinese investment and the rest 30 percent from Lao side.

China-Laos railway is the first overseas route connecting with the railway system in China, using Chinese technology, equipment and investment.