Durian has ripened and fallen branches, while mangosteen is purple red and translucent. This scene can be seen everywhere in orchards in Laos and Thailand. A cold chain train of the "Lancang Mekong Express" passes through the Friendship Tunnel and can be put on the shelves of supermarkets in Kunming, Chengdu, and Guangzhou in just three days. This is not a commercial advertisement, but a true portrayal of the daily operation of the China Laos Railway.

The freshness of imported fruits continues to improve, and their prices have become affordable, mainly due to the significant increase in transportation speed. In the past, Southeast Asian fruits were transported by road, sea, and other means, which resulted in long transportation times, high losses, and high shipping costs. This not only made it difficult to guarantee the taste of the fruits, but also led to high prices for fresh fruits such as durian, resulting in high consumer expenses.

Nowadays, the China Laos Thailand all railway cold chain special trains are operating normally, with temperature control throughout the cold chain and significantly improved transportation efficiency. Cross border transportation can be completed in as fast as three days. The transportation volume of fruits continues to rise, and losses have decreased, resulting in a decrease in the cost per kilogram of fruits.

Secondly, relying on efficient port clearance guarantees. Mohan Station is the only national railway port between China and Laos, and also an important hub for Southeast Asian fruits to enter the Chinese market. The peak daily import of fresh fruits at Mohan Station reached 3665.1 tons. Faced with a large number of arrivals, the railway continues to optimize its services and has launched a three in advance collaboration model of "railway manifest+enterprise declaration+customs review" in conjunction with customs and other departments. Fresh fruits are still being packed overseas, and customs clearance procedures have been completed. Each link compresses time to help fresh fruits compete for "freshness" and enter the market.

There is also a tariff dividend. After the RCEP came into effect, tariffs between China and ASEAN have been lowered year by year, and tariffs on some fresh fruits such as durian and mangosteen have gradually decreased from over 20% to zero. As import costs decline, terminal retail prices also fall.

As soon as the train rings, ten thousand taels of gold. The China Laos railway is not only a passenger and freight transport route, but also an economic route to break down barriers to regional cooperation and become rich. Cross border freight transportation has become increasingly convenient, and cross-border business conditions continue to optimize. The radiation range of the routes exceeds that of China and Laos, covering 19 countries and regions such as Laos and Thailand.

Fruit transportation is only a part of the goods transported by the China Laos railway. Made in China is exported to the south along the railway, and the momentum of foreign trade continues to increase. The "new three kinds" of exports show a bright performance: in the first quarter of 2026, the export value of goods through the China Laos railway is 1.3 billion yuan, a 10.4 times year-on-year increase, and the export of photovoltaic products has increased 43.2 times. The China Laos railway has truly become a cross-border gold channel.

At present, it is the peak season for fresh fruits in Southeast Asia, and the fruit aroma is transported northward along the railway, with the Mohan Port cold chain train continuing to transport it. The fruity aroma carries the logistics speed, economic and trade temperature, and embodies the full sense of achievement of the people of both countries.

A railway, sweet dining tables for thousands of households.

This article was reprinted on: China Daily website       Editor/Gao Xue