Cross-border freight traffic increases in Yunnan

Mohan land port in Yunnan province recorded 1,868 freight train trips as of Friday on the China-Laos Railway since its opening on Dec 3, according to the border inspection station.

The trains carried 1.28 million metric tons of goods valued at around 10 billion yuan ($1.44 billion). Of the total cargo, 340,000 tons of goods were exported and 940,000 tons were imported.

The railway has carried goods from 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country, ranging from chemical fertilizers, rubber products and general merchandise at the initial stage to nearly 2,000 kinds of goods such as electronics, photovoltaics, communications and flowers.

Goods have been transported via Laos and neighboring countries to China from Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore.

The 1,035-kilometers railway, with a design speed of 160 kilometers per hour, runs from Kunming, Yunnan, and passes through 13 passenger and freight stations in the province before leaving China at Mohan land port and continuing on to Vientiane, the Laotian capital.

To ensure the smooth delivery of imports and exports, the station has promoted proactive measures to enhance efficiency. The number of cross-border freight trains inspected by the station has increased from one pair of two trains in its initial operation to six pairs of 12 trains, with a maximum of eight pairs of 16 trains, according to the station.

Inspection times for cross-border freight trains has been shortened from 20 minutes to 12 minutes per train.