The whistle breaks at dawn, and the iron dragon gallops. On January 26, 2024, a Central Asia train full of fresh vegetables and high-quality steel in Yunnan will set off from Yanhe Station, Yuxi, Yunnan, China Laos Railway, and arrive at Mohan Port in only 9 hours, heading south to Vientiane South Station, Laos. This train shuttling between mountains and rivers not only ran out of the "acceleration" of cargo transportation, but also let the China Laos railway, the cooperation artery connecting the regional economy, burst into a strong pulse.

The first of the four new Central Asian international freight trains on the China Laos Railway has been successfully delivered. Subsequent trains will also depart from stations such as Zhongyi Village and Yuxi South in Yunnan. With efficient, convenient, and stable transportation advantages, they will accurately connect with the growing logistics demand along the route and become a popular new logistics choice in the region.

Over the past four years, the passenger and freight traffic volume of the China Laos railway has continued to rise and its radiation scope has continued to expand. The channel effect is accelerating from "preliminary appearance" to "full release". This railway is not only a key carrier for infrastructure connectivity, but also relies on policy communication and financial integration to effectively promote smooth trade and people to people connectivity, becoming an important link for regional linkage development.

As a logistics engine on the Steel Silk Road, the addition of Central Asian trains further unleashes multiple development benefits. Professor Song Wei from the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University pointed out that the most direct effect of adding trains is to improve regional logistics efficiency and reduce trade costs. The China Laos Railway runs through Yunnan and Laos in China and extends to Southeast Asia, greatly shortening the transportation time compared with traditional sea transportation. Its transportation cost is between sea transportation and air transportation, and its timeliness is more stable, which can significantly reduce the comprehensive cost of agricultural products, electronic products, mechanical equipment and other high value-added products. At the same time, the trains have expanded regional trade channels, enhanced the resilience of enterprises' industrial chains, reduced their dependence on single sea transportation, activated hubs along the Kunming, Vientiane, Bangkok and other routes, driven in-depth industrial cooperation, promoted the organic connection between the China Laos railway economic belt and the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", and laid a foundation for the docking of rules between RCEP and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Looking ahead to the future, how to continuously unleash transportation advantages and create efficient new logistics channels? Song Wei proposed four directions: first, to create a brand of timed and designated trains, open cold chain special trains for agricultural products, and develop exclusive trains to meet the needs of cross-border e-commerce; The second is to improve the layout of container centers and cold chain warehousing at key nodes such as Kunming and Vientiane, and enhance the ability of cargo distribution and value-added services; Thirdly, we will promote the integration of rules and standards along the route, break down barriers to inspection and quarantine, and use digital corridors to build a real-time monitoring system for goods, achieving efficient customs clearance throughout the entire process; Fourthly, we will deepen the linkage between railways and industries, establish cross-border agricultural cooperation zones and green supply chain demonstration zones along the route, closely link railway transportation with industrial chain development, and help small and medium-sized enterprises integrate into the regional economic system.

The efficient operation of China Laos Railway is also the successful output of China's railway technology and management wisdom. From engineering design that adapts to complex terrains, to "one-stop" cross-border customs clearance services, to seamless integration of multimodal transport, every link embodies innovative strength, ensuring the safe, stable, and efficient operation of this international railway.

The night falls, accompanied by stars. Another Central Asia train starts slowly from the China Laos railway. Its lights are like meteors cutting through the mountains at night, carrying the expectations of the people along the line for prosperity and development, and heading for a new journey of win-win cooperation. This non-stop steel silk road is taking a steady and firm step to inject vigorous momentum into regional linkage and international trade, playing a new chapter of jointly building the "the Belt and Road" and sharing development and prosperity.