The China-Laos Railway has facilitated over 346,000 cross-border passenger trips and handled roughly 11 million metric tons of cross-border goods over the past three years, boosting socioeconomic development along the line in the two countries.

The 1,035-kilometer railway, which started operation on Dec 3,2021, is a flagship project within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. It connects Kunming, capital of China's Yunnan province, with the Laotian capital of Vientiane.

Over the years, the railway has turned Laos, a land-locked country, into a land-linked hub in the Indo-China Peninsula, helping the country effectively overcome its development barriers and improving the Laotian people's livelihoods.

Statistics from Kunming Customs show that by the end of November, 10.6 million tons of imported and exported goods had been handled via the railway, with the total value exceeding 44 billion yuan ($6.05 billion).

Through the cross-border cargo transportation service, over 2,900 types of goods such as electronics, photovoltaic and automobiles are transported between China and 12 BRI countries, including Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, said officials at the Mohan checkpoint on the Chinese border with Laos in Yunnan.

Zhang Xuxu, general manager of Yunnan-based Tonghai Wanhe Import and Export Co who has been engaged in the vegetable import and export business for 10 years, said his company's foreign trade covers over 20 types of vegetables, mainly to Thailand and Malaysia.

"Cold chain transport via the China-Laos Railway to Thailand saves one day compared with road transport and reduces costs by 10 percent," Zhang said, adding that he has noticed an increase in the number of people involved in the vegetable import and export business since the railway began operations.

Hu Shengli, safety technology director of Laos Tongda International Logistics Co, said the railway has not only enhanced transport convenience, but has also spurred economic development and job opportunities in Laos, significantly improving the lives of the Laotian people.

"Thanks to the China-Laos Railway, the export prices of Laotian agricultural products such as cassava, rice and corn have seen a surge in recent years due to growing demand, which has boosted the local people's incomes," he said.

In addition, the average price of durian in China has dropped 20 to 50 percent, since the railway has cut the transportation time and cost from Thailand, the largest exporter of fresh durian in the world, to China, its biggest market.

"The Thailand and the China-Laos railways have enabled the direct transfer of full-container loads, opening up a new channel for Thai durian exports. Previously, it took seven days by sea and five days by road from Thailand to Kunming. Now, using the railway, it only takes two days," said Pan Jiaoling, operations director of Thailand Shibida International Logistics Co.

中老铁路开通三年来累计发送跨境旅客34.6万人次，运输跨境货物约1100万吨，有力促进了两国沿线经济社会发展。这条全长1035公里的铁路于2021年12月3日开通运营，是共建"一带一路"框架下的标志性项目，连接中国云南省会昆明与老挝首都万象。  

这条铁路将老挝从"陆锁国"变为中南半岛的"陆联枢纽"，帮助该国有效突破发展瓶颈，改善民生福祉。昆明海关数据显示，截至11月底，中老铁路进出口货运量达1060万吨，货值超440亿元人民币。  

据云南中老边境磨憨口岸工作人员介绍，通过跨境货运服务，中老铁路已运输电子、光伏、汽车等2900余种货物，覆盖老挝、泰国、越南等12个共建"一带一路"国家。  

从事蔬菜进出口业务十年的云南通海万和进出口公司总经理张旭旭表示，公司外贸业务涵盖20余种蔬菜，主要销往泰国、马来西亚。"通过中老铁路冷链运输至泰国比公路运输节省1天时间，成本降低10%"。他注意到铁路开通后，从事蔬菜进出口业务的人员明显增加。  

老挝通达国际物流公司安全技术总监胡胜利表示，铁路不仅提升了运输便利性，更带动了老挝经济发展和就业，显著改善民众生活。"得益于中老铁路，近年来木薯、大米、玉米等老挝农产品出口价格因需求增长而大幅上涨，提高了当地居民收入"。  

此外，由于铁路运输缩短了从全球最大鲜食榴莲出口国泰国至最大消费市场中国的运输时间和成本，中国市场的榴莲均价下降了20%至50%。泰国世必达国际物流公司运营总监潘娇玲说："中泰铁路与中老铁路实现整柜直装，为泰国榴莲出口开辟新通道。此前泰国至昆明海运需7天、陆运5天，现在铁路运输仅需2天"。