The Laos-China Railway construction project is scheduled to open in December 2021 but is set to face delays.
According to a report by Vientiane Times, the Laos-China Railway construction project is progressing well but now faces issues including mediation with villagers residing in areas allocated to the project.
Mediation remains ongoing across villages that fall under the project area between Vientiane Station and South Vientiane Station, where villagers have not yet fully agreed to compensation.
If the project is unable to resolve this issue quickly, it may cause delays and the railway may not be completed on time.
The Laos-China Railway construction project also faces some unique challenges; some railway construction components, such as rail bolts, have been stolen, while local people have constructed makeshift bridges across sections of the railway without permission.
Railway workers have also complained of livestock being released onto the tracks to graze.
According to Lao law, those who engage in activities deliberately posing a danger to the safety of aircraft, ships, trains, vehicles, airports, ports, train stations or bus stations are subject to heavy fines and up to twenty years imprisonment.
The Laos-China Railway will run some 414 kilometers, including 198km of tunnels, and will traverse 62km of bridges. It will run from the Boten border gate, connecting Northern Laos to China, down to Vientiane Capital, with an operating speed of 160km per hour.
