China-Laos Railway handles over 60 million passenger trips

Stewardesses interact with passengers aboard train No. D86 from Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, to the Lao capital Vientiane, July 18, 2025. (Photo by Yang Zixuan/Xinhua)

KUNMING, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway has seen more than 60 million passenger trips since its launch, carrying 595,000 cross-border travelers from 115 countries and regions as of Wednesday, China Railway Kunming Group has said.

To meet growing demand, this railway service added a second pair of international trains between Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, and Vientiane in Laos this July, doubling the number of daily trains to four.

Service enhancements include dedicated ticketing windows, support for foreign payment methods, and optimized cross-border booking systems.

Passenger volume this year has reached 15.48 million to date -- a 2.38 percent year-on-year increase, reflecting this railway's important role in regional connectivity.

The China-Laos Railway officially opened in December 2021 -- and launched international services linking Kunming and Vientiane in April 2023.