In the context of the deepening and implementation of the the Belt and Road Initiative, the China Laos Railway, as the golden artery connecting China and ASEAN, is writing a new chapter of regional connectivity with a magnificent momentum. On March 25, 2026, this steel silk road spanning mountains and rivers ushered in another historic moment - the total amount of goods transported officially exceeded 80 million tons. This is not only a miracle of railway transportation, but also a vivid reflection of the increasingly close economic and trade exchanges between China and Southeast Asian countries, as well as the deep integration of industrial and supply chains, injecting strong impetus into the construction of a closer China ASEAN community with a shared future.

On the morning of March 25, 2026, an international freight train of the China Laos Railway loaded with goods left Kunming Container Center Station in Yunnan Province and headed for Vientiane, Laos. This marks that since the opening of the China Laos railway on December 3, 2021, the total volume of freight transport has exceeded 80 million tons, including more than 18 million tons of cross-border freight transport.

Kunming Railway Bureau Group Co., Ltd. of China Railway introduced that since the opening and operation of the China Laos railway, the railway departments of China and Laos have strengthened the organization of freight transportation and improved the transportation capacity and efficiency. The daily number of cross-border freight trains has increased from 2 in the initial opening period to a maximum of 23. As of the 25th, a total of 71000 freight trains have been operated. The variety of cross-border goods has expanded from more than 10 types such as fertilizers and rubber in the early stages of opening to over 3800 types such as chemical, textile, electrical, and mineral industries, injecting new vitality into the sustained prosperity and development of the region. Since the opening of the China Laos Railway, the volume of goods transported has increased year by year. From 2022 to 2025, the transportation of goods reached 12.47 million tons, 17.81 million tons, 19.64 million tons, and 24.48 million tons respectively. Since the beginning of this year, 5.64 million tons have been transported. At present, the transportation of goods has covered 19 countries and regions including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, etc. The total number of international freight trains has exceeded 20000. Keywords: China Laos railway, interconnection

Over the past five years, the China Laos Railway has evolved from a simple transportation line into a major logistics channel and economic corridor radiating to South Asia and Southeast Asia. With the continuous expansion of the transportation network and the continuous optimization of service quality, the China Laos Railway is accelerating the in-depth cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and other fields among countries along the line, becoming a benchmark project for high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road.Editor/Cheng Liting