（Xinhua）A freight train loaded with 19 cold-chain containers packed with about 280 tonnes of fresh vegetables left Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Tuesday.

This was the first "China-Laos-Thailand" round-trip freight train. The train was scheduled to arrive in the Thai capital of Bangkok in 55 hours.

It will first stop at the Vientiane South Station in Laos for reloading, and then head for Bangkok via the Thai meter-gauge railway, which helps shorten the travel time by about one day compared to the previous route, while also reducing the transportation cost by more than 20 percent, said the China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd. The previous route was a combination of railway and highway.

When the train returns, it will carry seasonal fruits such as Thai longan and durian.

This aerial photo taken on Nov. 24, 2022 shows a freight train to enter the China-Laos Railway's Friendship Tunnel connecting Mohan in southwest China's Yunnan Province and Boten in northern Laos. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

At present, cross-border freight transportation via the China-Laos Railway covers Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and other countries along the Belt and Road. The variety of transported goods has expanded from just more than 10 types when the railway was first opened to over 1,200 types currently. Total freight volume on this route now exceeds 2.5 million tonnes.

7日下午，一列搭载19个冷链集装箱、约280吨新鲜蔬菜的中老铁路国际货物列车从云南省中铁联集昆明中心站驶出，标志着“中老泰”全程铁路运输往返班列成功首发。

据中国铁路昆明局集团有限公司介绍，首趟“中老泰”全程铁路运输班列预计55小时后到达泰国曼谷，该班列由中老铁路“澜湄快线”国际货物列车从昆明运到老挝万象南站进行换装，再经泰国米轨铁路运抵曼谷，较以往的铁路加公路分段运输模式缩短约1天时间，运输成本降低20%以上。班列返程时将装运泰国龙眼、榴莲等应季水果，实现班列重去重回。

“铁路部门加强冷链货物组织，强化与海关部门的沟通协调，积极推行快速通关和转关模式，最大程度压缩货物通关时间。”中铁联集昆明分公司副总经理徐超说，“中老泰”全程铁路运输班列搭建起更加高效稳定的冷链物流新通道，为中国与东盟国家间的经贸合作注入新动能。

据了解，中老铁路跨境运输的货物由开通初期的10多种扩展至1200多种，货运总量超过250万吨。（中文稿件来源：新华社）