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Boten–Vientiane railway

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"China–Laos railway" redirects here. For the rail section located in China, see Yuxi–Mohan railway.
Boten–Vientiane railway
A CR200J-train at Vang Vieng station
Overview
Other name(s)
  • Laos–China Railway
  • Laos section of the Kunming–Singapore railway
  • Laos higher-speed rail (Laos HSR)
Native nameທາງລົດໄຟບໍ່ເຕັນ-ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ / ລົດໄຟ ລາວ ຈີນ (Lao)
磨万铁路 / 中老鐵路老撾段 (Chinese)
StatusOperational
OwnerLaos–China Railway Company Limited (LCR)
LocaleLaos
Termini
Continues fromYuxi–Mohan railway
Continues asBangkok–Nong Khai high-speed railway (planned)
Stations20
Service
Type
Operator(s)China Railway Kunming Group[2]
Rolling stockCR200J, HXD3C, 25G
Daily ridership7,000~10,000(Q1,2023)[3]
History
Commenced25 December 2016 (2016-12-25)[4]
Opened3 December 2021 (2021-12-03)[5][6]
Completed12 October 2021 (2021-10-12)[7]
Technical
Line length422[8] km (262 mi)
Number of tracks1
CharacterElevated
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line
Operating speed
  • Passenger:
  • 160 km/h (100 mph)
  • Freight:
  • 120 km/h (75 mph)[4]
Route map

Legend
km
China Railway
Yuxi–Mohan line
China–Laos border
China–Laos Friendship Tunnel
0
 Boten
12
 Nateuy
28
 Na Moh
Na Thong
67
 Muang Xay
Na Khok
113
 Mueang Nga
Huay Han
Mekong River
167
 Luang Prabang
Xieng Ngeun
Sala Phu Khun
239
 Mueang Kasi
Ban Pha Daeng
283
 Vang Vieng
Vang Khi
342
 Phonhong
Ban Saka
Vientiane North
406
 Vientiane
Thanaleng
Vientiane South
Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
across the Mekong River
Northeast railway (Thailand)
Key
standard gauge
metre gauge
This diagram:
Vientiane train station
Inside the railway station at Vientiane
Luang Prabang Station

The Boten–Vientiane railway is the Lao section of the Laos–China Railway (LCR), running between the capital Vientiane and the northern town of Boten on the border with Yunnan, China. The line was officially opened on 3 December 2021.[9]

A collaborative project between Laos and China, the line's northern end is directly connected to the Chinese rail system at Mohan in Yunnan, through the Yuxi–Mohan railway, and has provisions in the south to link up with the Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed railway in Thailand and possibly all the way to Singapore via HSR. The railway ends at Vientiane South cargo station. The Boten–Vientiane railway is an integral section of the central line on the Kunming–Singapore railway,[10] and was constructed as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).[11][12]

History

[edit]

The railway is part of the Laos-China Railway which is in turn part of the broader Laos-China Economic Corridor.[13]: 129 

Planning

[edit]

Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, which burdens it with a comparative disadvantage in trade.[14] During French rule, the French failed to develop a plan to build railways in Laos, with only the 7 km (4.3 mi) Don Det–Don Khon railway being completed.[15] A railway link from China through Laos would greatly reduce cargo transit times and transportation costs between the two countries.[14]

The first talks about the railway linking Laos and China began in 2001. A Lao politician of Chinese descent, Somsavat Lengsavad, was reportedly the driving force behind the project on the Laotian side. In October 2010, plans were announced for a 530 kilometres (330 mi) standard gauge railway linking Vientiane to Xishuangbanna, in Yunnan province in China.[16][17] Construction was expected to begin in 2011, for completion in 2014.[18][19] There are plans to extend this railway south, from Vientiane across the Thai border to Bangkok.[20]

The project initially stalled in the wake of the 2011 corruption scandal involving China's minister of railways, Liu Zhijun, but negotiations continued. In November 2012, the Laotian press reported that the money for the construction of the railway would be borrowed from the Export–Import Bank of China,[21] and construction would be started in 2013 and completed in 2018.[16] By 2015, a revised plan was agreed upon, under which both countries would jointly finance and operate the railway with a build-operate-transfer arrangement.[22] Construction work worth US$1.2 billion was awarded to the China Railway Group in September 2015.[22]

Construction and completion

[edit]
Viaduct under construction near Vientiane
Bridge construction in Luang Prabang Province

Construction began at Luang Prabang on 25 December 2016.[23] At the end of 2017, the construction phase was 20% completed,[24] and in September 2019 progress was reported as 80% completed.[25] Unexploded bombs that have been dropped during the Vietnam War would also be removed along the route.[26]

As of June 2020, Chinese state media reported that the US$6 billion project was 90% complete. Work crews started laying track in Laos in March 2020, five years after breaking ground. With all of the hundreds of tunnels, bridges and viaducts completed, cargo service was scheduled to start from December 2021.[27] In April 2021, the northernmost section in Luang Namtha Province was 97% complete. Track laying of the last section in Oudomxay Province would be completed in May, leaving the project well on track for a 2021 opening.[28] Track-laying was officially completed on 12 October 2021.[7] The first EMU was delivered to Vientiane on 16 October 2021, and the line opened on 3 December 2021, a day after the 46th anniversary of the Lao PDR.[9][6]

The railway is expected to boost tourism, with passenger traffic to account for the majority of traffic on the line.[12][29] The Thai province of Nong Khai is also expected to gain more visitors through the railway, as well as fruit exports from Thailand to China benefiting from reduced transportation costs.[30]

As of 2024, it is the most significant Belt and Road Initiative project in Laos.[31]: 212 

Future expansion

[edit]

Since the line uses a different rail gauge from the existing Thai Northeastern Line link from Bangkok to Thanaleng, running into Thailand is not yet possible for passenger trains. A branch to Thanaleng Dry Port freight yard was completed in July 2022, allowing transfer of cargo between Thai metre gauge railway and Laos standard gauge railway.

However, the Vientiane end of the line will eventually cross the Mekong River on a new bridge to meet up with the Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed railway once it is completed, making the connection.[32] As of 2023, the design of this extension is in progress with a target completion date of 2028.[33]

Financing

[edit]

The cost of the project is estimated at US$5.965 billion[34] or RMB 37.425 billion.[35] The railway is 60% funded with debt financing ($3.6 billion) from the Export–Import Bank of China, and the remaining 40% ($2.4 billion) by a joint venture company between the two countries, in which China holds a 70% stake. Of the remaining 30%, the Laotian government disburses $250 million from its national budget and borrows $480 million further from the Export–Import Bank of China.[36] It is the most expensive and largest project to be constructed in Laos as of 2021.[37]

The cost of the railway has contributed to a US$480 million increase in Lao debt to the Export–Import Bank of China. Western publications subsequently claimed that Laos could end up falling into a default on its debts.[38][36][39] In 2019, the Australian think-tank Lowy Institute estimated Laos' debt to China at 45% of its GDP.[38] In 2020, American credit agency Fitch Ratings assigned Laos a 'CCC' credit rating, stating that the country has "excessive debt".[37]

Ridership

[edit]

Between January 2021 and December 2021, the Laos–China Railway as a whole transported over 1 million passengers and 500,000 tonnes of cargo, according to the transport authorities of Yunnan Province.[40] In 2023, the railway had an annual ridership of 3.1 million passengers.[41]

Infrastructure

[edit]

47% of the railway is spanned over 75 tunnels and 15% is set on viaducts spread over 167 bridges.[22][23] Vientiane railway station, the largest station on the railway, is situated in Xay Village in Xaythany District and consists of four platforms with seven track lines and two additional platforms with three lines reserved; it is expected to connect with other railway lines planned for Laos. The station can accommodate up to 2,500 passengers with a total area of 14,543 square metres.[42]

The railway is built on a single track with passing loops and is electrified to China's Class I trunk railway standards, suitable for 160 km/h (100 mph) passenger and 120 km/h (75 mph) freight trains, making Laos the first country to connect to the Chinese high-speed railway network using Chinese technology.[29]

Rolling stock

[edit]
A higher-speed CR200J trainsets, with bilingual signage in Laotian and Chinese

Passenger services employ CR200J trainsets for express passenger train and China Railway 25G passenger coaches for ordinary passenger train, and for freight hauling and normal passenger service, HXD3CA locomotives are used.[43][44][45]

Cargo

[edit]

On 4 December 2021, a day after opening the China–Laos railway, the Vientiane Logistics Park, one of a total of nine logistics centres in Laos, was officially opened by Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh at Thanaleng.[46]

List of stations

[edit]

A total of 32 stations are planned along the line,[47] of which 21 stations were initially constructed, including 10 passenger stations and 11 cargo stations:[48][49][50]

Station name Station type km[51] Cumulatve travel time (h:m)
Fast Train Ordinary Train
Moding (Boten) passenger, major 000 0:00 0:00
Na Teuy passenger 013 0:09 0:11
Na Moh passenger 028 — 0:26
Na Thong cargo 038 — —
Muang Xay passenger 067 0:39 0:57
Na Khok cargo 097 — —
Muang Nga passenger 113 — 1:34
Huoay Han cargo 135 — —
Luang Prabang passenger, major 168 1:31 2:15
Xiang Ngeun cargo 177 — —
Phou Khoun cargo 209 — —
Kasi passenger 239 — 3:04
Pha Daeng cargo 256 — —
Vang Vieng passenger, major 283 2:31 3:41
Vang Khi cargo 310 — —
Phon Hong passenger 342 — 4:23
Phon Soung cargo 372 — —
Vientiane North cargo 388 — —
Vientiane passenger, major 406 3:35 5:15
Vientiane South cargo 419 — —

Controversies

[edit]

Radio Free Asia reported in October 2021 that some Lao villagers displaced from their land by the line's construction complained that they had still not received compensation.[52]

In the first year of operation, the railway only allowed ticket purchases up to three days in advance and online sales were not available. That resulted in extremely long lines at ticket offices, and express trains often sold out the day ticket sales opened.[53] This has since been ameliorated with the LCR mobile app, which allows online purchase of tickets, requiring an email, or a Thai, Laotian or Chinese phone number.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "China and Laos open $6 billion high-speed rail link". Reuters. 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  2. ^ "中老铁路12月3日全线开通运营 昆明至万象约10小时可达". 荆楚网. 2021-12-02. 中老铁路开通初期，老挝段由老中铁路公司委托中国铁路昆明局集团公司运营维护
  3. ^ "一季度中老铁路客货两旺". CRI online. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Laos-China railway brings changes to Laos". China Daily. 7 August 2017.
  5. ^ "Nong Khai plans for rail link with China". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
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  9. ^ a b "中老铁路今日通车-图片新闻-中华人民共和国交通运输部". www.mot.gov.cn. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
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  12. ^ a b "Transforming Lao PDR from a Land-locked to a Land-linked Economy". World Bank. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  13. ^ Curtis, Simon; Klaus, Ian (2024). The Belt and Road City: Geopolitics, Urbanization, and China's Search for a New International Order. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. doi:10.2307/jj.11589102. ISBN 9780300266900. JSTOR jj.11589102.
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  23. ^ a b "Everything You Need to Know About the Laos–China Railway". The Laotian Times. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
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  28. ^ "ການກໍ່ສ້າງພື້ນຖານໂຄງສ້າງທາງລົດໄຟ ລາວ-ຈີນ ໄລຍະທາງຜ່ານແຂວງຫຼວງນ້ຳທາ ສຳເລັດແລ້ວ 97%" [Construction of Lao-China Railway Infrastructure via Luang Namtha Province Completed 97%]. Target Magazine (in Lao). Archived from the original on 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
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  32. ^ "Calls to speed up link to Laos-China line". Bangkok Post.
  33. ^ "High-speed rail linking Thailand's Nong Khai and Laos capital Vientiane expected to complete in 2028".
  34. ^ "ເສັ້ນທາງລົດໄຟ ລາວ-ຈີນ ຈະເລີ່ມແລ່ນທົດລອງທ້າຍປີນີ້". 31 March 2021.
  35. ^ "中老铁路-新建铁路磨丁至万象线站房及相关工程施工总价承包中标结果 - 路桥资讯-桥梁要闻、会展报告、路桥政策-中国桥梁网 -".
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  37. ^ a b "China's debt-trap diplomacy: Laos' credit rating downgraded to CCC". Thailand Business News. 2 November 2020.
  38. ^ a b "Laos Stumbles Under Rising Chinese Debt Burden". The Diplomat. 7 September 2020.
  39. ^ "Taking power - Chinese firm to run Laos electric grid amid default warnings". Reuters. 4 September 2020. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020.
  40. ^ "China-Laos Railway transports over one million passengers since launch". Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  41. ^ Meadley, Jonathan (23 January 2024). "Laos-China Railway Boosts Daily Trips in Preparation of Tourism Surge". Laotian Times.
  42. ^ Phonevilay, Latsamy (4 July 2020). "Construction of Vientiane Station Commences on Laos–China Railway". The Laotian Times. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  43. ^ "รบ.ลาวตั้งชื่อรถไฟ "ล้านช้าง-แคนลาว" ขบวนแรกข้ามจากจีนถึงบ่อเต็น 14 ต.ค." mgronline.com (in Thai). 13 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  44. ^ "Công ty Đường sắt Lào Trung mua hai đoàn tàu CR200J của Trung Quốc". tapchilaoviet.org (in Vietnamese). 29 September 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  45. ^ ""绿巨人"CR200J动车将跑上中老铁路，昆明直达老挝首都|界面新闻". www.jiemian.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  46. ^ The Ambassador of Timor-Leste in Vientiane: Thanaleng Dry Port International Border Checkpoints was officially inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Phankham Viphavanh, Prime Minister of Laos. Thanaleng Dry Port is located at prime location with an extensive area of 382 hectares, and granted the exclusive privilege by the Lao government, as a flagship to drive the national logistics strategy to transform Laos from a landlocked into a land linked country. Thanaleng and Vientiane Logistic Park project is one of the 9 Dry ports in Laos., 4 December 2021, retrieved 4 December 2021.
  47. ^ "老挝北部的中老铁路建设如火如荼-新华网". 28 March 2018. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018.
  48. ^ "集团公司党委书记、董事长张建喜出席中老铁路站房及相关工程施工合同签约仪式－公共建筑－中国中铁建工集团". 14 April 2020.[permanent dead link]
  49. ^ "中老铁路-新建铁路磨丁至万象线站房及相关工程施工总价承包中标结果 - 路桥资讯-桥梁要闻、会展报告、路桥政策-中国桥梁网". 24 March 2020.
  50. ^ "中老铁路-新建铁路磨丁至万象线四电工程施工总价承包中标结果". 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  51. ^ "Laos-China Railway Schedule and Pricing". 28 September 2022.
  52. ^ Finney, Richard (2021-10-05). "Lao Villagers Not Yet Paid For Land Lost to China-Backed High-Speed Rail Project". Radio Free Asia.
  53. ^ Syboun, Khonephachanh (13 January 2022). "Laos-China Railway Allows Three-Day Advance Ticket Purchases". Retrieved 18 April 2023.
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