Senior railway officials from China and Thailand visited Laos last week to discuss cooperation with their Lao counterpart. The Chinese and Thai officials met Lao Minister of Public Works and Transport Mr Sommath Pholsena and Lao railway officials at Thanalaeng Train Station in Dongphosy village, Hadxaifong district, some 25km from Vientiane city centre. The visit of the senior railway officials from the two neighbouring countries was made after China vowed to provide assistance for Laos and Thailand to develop a railway from Kunming of Yunnan province in southwestern China to Vientiane, Laos and Bangkok, Thailand. The railway development project is part of the Kunming-Singapore rail link, which aims to boost trade relations between Asean member countries and China, after the two parties reached an agreement on Asean-China Free Trade in 2009. Speaking after attending the meeting of the railway officials from the three nations, Lao Railway Authority Deputy Director General Mr Sompong Pholsena said officials discussed cooperation in railway development. China agreed to support Laos to construct a railway from the Lao-China border checkpoint at Boten, Luang Namtha province, to Vientiane, adding that officials from the two countries were joining forces to conduct a feasibility study of the railway. The railway from Boten to Vientiane will be about 400km long and the railway will be designed to accommodate a medium high-speed train, which can run about 200km per hour. The highest speed trains can run at 350km per hour. The cost of the railway construction from Boten to Vientiane is still unknown.
Source: Vientiane Times
