On April 16, reporters learned from China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd. that since April 13, when the China-Laos Railway added a pair of international passenger trains between Xishuangbanna and Luang Prabang, the two international passenger trains D87/88 and D85/86 on the China-Laos Railway have carried a total of more than 130,000 passengers, with an average daily ridership of over 4,300; among them, cross-border passengers exceeded 20,000, and passenger flow continues to be strong.

Photo shows a China-Laos Railway international passenger train in motion.

　　The China-Laos Railway international passenger trains connect tourist cities such as Kunming, Xishuangbanna, Luang Prabang and Vientiane, greatly facilitating international travelers' visits to cultural relics and natural scenic areas along the route. Since the beginning of this year, cities such as Beijing, Harbin and Shenyang have adopted a new model of "domestic tourist train + international passenger train" to organize China-Laos cross-border tour groups to Laos, further expanding the reach of the international passenger trains. Recently, the load factor of the China-Laos Railway international passenger trains has remained high, with a single-day peak load factor of 100%, an on-time departure rate of 100% and an on-time arrival rate of 99%, and transport has been safe, stable and orderly.

　　Yang Bin, train captain of the China-Laos Railway D85 international passenger train, introduced that the train departs from Xishuangbanna and takes only about 5 hours to reach Luang Prabang in Laos, including customs clearance time; many passengers use the weekend to travel to Laos for tourism or to visit relatives; in peak tourist season, especially during the May Day holiday, the train is often fully booked.

Photo shows passengers queuing and waiting.

　　In the face of continued growth in passenger flow, the railway authorities have responded actively and continuously optimized service quality.

　　In terms of passenger transport services, the railway authorities of China and Laos have set up dedicated windows for international passenger ticket purchases at stations along the route, optimized boarding and alighting organization, and provided non-intrusive service. According to cross-border passenger flow conditions, cross-border carriages and non-cross-border carriages are flexibly arranged to meet the travel needs of different passengers. Passenger service information and broadcast services are provided in Chinese, Lao and English, and the trains are equipped with language translation devices to provide convenience for passengers.

　　In terms of catering services, on the basis of the existing ethnic-style cold-chain and hot-chain set meals such as "Dining on Dai Flavors on the Train" and "Golden Flower Jade Delicacies" that meet different taste needs, family set meals, business set meals and travel set meals have also been launched for different consumer groups. The launch of China-Laos Railway "Coffee Aroma Along the Way" coffee has been especially favored by passengers.

　　The China-Laos Railway international passenger trains have not only boosted the tourism industries of cities such as Xishuangbanna and Luang Prabang and stimulated new momentum for consumption, but also further promoted economic and trade exchanges between China and Laos.