Laos

Market Overview

Laos was transformed as a rail market with the opening of the Laos-China Railway in December 2021. The 1,000-km electrified standard gauge line connects Vientiane to the Chinese border at Boten, cutting journey times dramatically and linking Laos to the Chinese rail network. The project was built by Chinese state enterprises and financed primarily by China Exim Bank. Cross-border passenger and freight services operate between Laos and Yunnan Province, China. Laos is studying extensions southward toward Thailand to complete the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link. The railway has boosted trade and tourism and is central to Laos's ambition to transform from a landlocked to a land-linked country. Rolling stock is supplied by CRRC.