The tracks with high-speed train capacity will traverse central Laos and link China and Thailand. Lao Public Works and Transport deputy-minister Lattanamany Khounnivong said China and Laos had reached final agreement on the project on 13 November.
He added that all that remained to do was to tweak the final route so that it did not spoil the landscape or cause major upheaval for people living near it. Mr Khounnivong noted that the train services would benefit the economy of Laos and therefore its citizens.
The two countries conducted impact assessments on the project three years ago. Construction is expected to last five years and cost almost US$7 billion. The line will begin in Laos’s Luang Namtha Province and go through to Nong Khai Province on the Thai border. En route, it will pass through Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane.
Lao government asks residents on new rail route for patience
News in Asia
The Lao government has asked residents living alongside a planned new cross-country rail route to be patient during construction. Follwoing an official ground-breaking ceremony, contractors are due to start laying the 417km track next month.