The cross-border passenger service on the China-Laos Railway is scheduled to be launched on April 13, a day ahead of the Lao New Year holiday, as ticketing kicked off on Tuesday morning in both countries.

According to a release from China State Railway Group Company (China Railway), the move comes as "the COVID-19 control enters a new stage and people's demand for cross-border travel surges," and it's based on the consensus following negotiations between railway departments of both China and Laos.

The 1,035-kilometer international railway, linking the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming with Lao capital Vientiane, went into service on December 3, 2021. But only cross-border cargo service has been available since then due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to China Railway, there will be two trains running in opposite directions each day, departing from Kunming and Vientiane, respectively. They will stop at eight stations along the way – Kunming, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna and Mohan within the Chinese section and Moten, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane within the Lao section. The whole journey is expected to take 10.5 hours, including time for customs clearance.

At an extraordinary cabinet meeting in mid-March, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone called for the urgent installation of immigration booths at train stations to facilitate travel by both inbound and outbound passengers, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.

Multi-language service will be available on the train, namely Chinese, Laotian and English. There will be socket outlets in line with both Chinese and Lao standards at each set of seats.

The China-Laos Railway is a landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative, which transforms Laos from a landlocked country into a land-linked hub. Data from China Railway shows that as of April 9, the rail has transported 18.38 million tonnes of goods, among which 3.59 million tonnes are cross-border cargo. Meanwhile, both sections have carried a total of 13.93 million passengers.

In an exclusive interview with CGTN in late March, Lao Ambassador to China Khamphao Ernthavanh said the railway will bring more opportunities, especially for businesspeople.

"We welcome more Chinese investors to Laos and explore which areas they can invest," said the ambassador.

During their meeting in Beijing in late 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith agreed that the two countries should work closely to create a high-standard, sustainable and people-friendly economic belt along the railway.