Infographic: Cross-border freight on China-Laos Railway exceeds 20 million tonnes

(Created by AI)

As of July 8, the China-Laos Railway had handled more than 20 million tonnes of cross-border cargo and operated over 23,000 cross-border freight train trips, according to China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd.

The railway has maintained strong growth in cross-border cargo transport since entering service. Annual freight volume surpassed 1 million tonnes within its first year of operation, exceeded 5 million tonnes by the end of 2023, and reached 10 million tonnes by the end of 2024.

So far in 2026, the railway has transported 3.16 million tonnes of cross-border cargo, averaging around 17,000 tonnes per day.

The variety of goods transported has also expanded significantly—from just over 10 categories when the railway first opened to more than 3,800 categories today. High-quality agricultural products from Southeast Asia, including natural rubber, durians and mangosteens, are transported via the railway to southwest China's Yunnan Province before being distributed across the country. Meanwhile, Chinese machinery, home appliances, textiles and photovoltaic products are shipped to Laos and onward to neighboring countries, boosting regional trade and industrial cooperation.

The railway now connects China with 19 countries and regions, including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, providing an efficient land route for regional trade.

As a flagship project within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Laos Railway has not only made travel more convenient for people along the route, but also generated strong momentum for regional commerce through its rapidly growing freight services. By facilitating industrial development and closer economic ties, it has become an important international logistics corridor between China and ASEAN countries, contributing to shared regional prosperity.