China shifts high-speed train to Laos capital

This white, red and blue painted Electromotive Force (EMU) train, designed and built in China, can run at a maximum speed of 160 km per hour. The train was transferred to the Laos-China Railway Joint Venture, which is responsible for developing and managing the high-speed rail link between the two countries.

The train departed from Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, to the capital Vientiane under the supervision of the National Railway Corporation. China (CNRG)

After the handover ceremony in Vientiane yesterday, the train will be tested before the opening day of the 1,000-kilometer Laos-China railway, which will take place on National Day. Laos 2/12.

The trains running on the Laos-China high-speed railroad are named Longkong, the ancient name of Laos and the name of the area of ​​the Mekong River that flows through China. The paint color on the carriages represents the national flag of Laos, and the interior bears the emblem of the daffodils, the national flower of Laos.

Each train can carry 720 people

EMU is a multi-car train that is self-propelled and uses electricity as the driving force. The EMU train does not require a machine to pull the entire train, fast acceleration, low noise and almost no pollution. The driving car of an EMU train is usually arranged at both ends to easily change the direction of the train.

Construction of the 414-km Laos-China high-speed railway from Botan to Yunnan border began in 2016, with an initial contract awarded for CNRG $ 1.2 billion. In June 2020, Chinese media reported that the value of the project had increased to US $ 6 billion.

The railway is part of China’s belt and road initiative, which aims to connect Kunming with Singapore on the 5,500-kilometer Trans-Asian Railway.

Nguyen Tien (Follow CGTN)