Under the wave of regional interconnectivity, the construction of the railway network in the Indochinese Peninsula is reaching a critical juncture. Recently, the Minister of Transport of Laos made a clear statement at the government meeting that the railway construction was the core to solve the economic and financial challenges and strengthen regional linkage. He not only announced the acceleration of the feasibility study of the Vientiane Pakse north-south railway, but also confirmed that the Laos Vietnam cross-border railway will be officially started at the beginning of 2026. At the same time, he proposed to promote the seamless connection between the China Laos railway and the Laos Thailand railway in the next five years, and make every effort to open up the central route of the Trans Asian Railway, so as to clearly lay out a railway development blueprint across the Indochina Peninsula.

As a key cross-border project in this plan, the Laos Vietnam Railway carries the strategic demand of Laos to open up a southeast sea outlet. The route starts from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, runs southeast through the central hinterland, and reaches Yong'an Port in Vietnam, with a total length of about 571 kilometers. The section within Laos is 452 kilometers long, covering 312.81 kilometers from Vientiane to Taqu and 139.19 kilometers from Taqu to the Laos Vietnam border. The total investment of the project is nearly 6.6 billion US dollars, and it is jointly developed and constructed by Laos Petroleum Trading Company PTL and Vietnam Dashan Investment Co., Ltd. Deo Ca through PPP mode. The landing of this railway will not only provide Laos with a convenient passage directly to the ocean, but also become an important link connecting the railway networks of countries such as Thailand and Cambodia, promoting the integration of the railway system in the Indochina Peninsula and pressing the "acceleration key" for regional trade and resource circulation.

The construction of Laos' overweight railway is based on the eye-catching operation performance of China Laos railway. Since the opening of the whole line on December 3, 2021, the China Laos Railway has been operating steadily for four years. As of December 2, 2025, it has sent more than 62.5 million passengers and 72.5 million tons of goods, and handed over a golden report card. Over the course of four years, this cross-border railway, stretching 1035 kilometers from Kunming, China in the north to Vientiane, Laos in the south, has seen a continuous increase in transportation efficiency. The monthly passenger volume of the entire line has skyrocketed from 600000 in the initial opening period to a peak of 2.2 million; The daily number of cross-border freight trains has increased from 2 to 23; The tonnage of train traction has also increased from 2000 tons to 2800 tons. The improvement of transportation efficiency directly translates into cost advantage - the freight cost from Kunming to Thailand via Laos is reduced by 30% to 50%, and the transport cost in Laos is also reduced by 20% to 40%. The China Laos railway has become a "new engine" driving regional economic development.

Based on the successful practice of the China Laos Railway, Laos has further anchored the development goal of "weaving a dense railway network and expanding the radiation circle". In the next five years, the Lao government will focus on the connection project between the Laos China Railway and the Laos Thailand Railway, and promote the completion of the central line of the Trans Asian Railway by opening this key node. At that time, the Indochinese Peninsula will form a railway artery that connects southwest China to the north, the Gulf of Thailand to the south, and Vietnam's seaports to the east. The logistics efficiency and trade convenience of countries in the region will be greatly improved. The Minister of Transport of Laos emphasized that railway development can not only effectively improve logistics efficiency and reduce transportation costs, but also provide long-term and strong support for the country's socio-economic development, helping Laos seize opportunities in regional cooperation.Editor/Bian Wenjun