Construction of a Railway Vocational Technical College has begun in Vientiane Capital that will produce graduates to work in the railway sector.
According to a report by Vientiane Times, the Lao Railway Vocational Technical College project, designed and constructed by China, includes the construction of school facilities and student dorms, as well as providing practical training for Lao students in China.
Located in Borkham Village, Xaythany District, Vientiane Capital, the college will be the first of its kind in Laos and is being constructed on over 14 hectares of land.
As part of the preparations for the new Lao railway college, the Ministry of Education and Sports has dispatched more than 30 instructors to China for training, according to Vientiane Times.
“One kilometer of the railway will require 15 people, including engineers and technicians for internal services and computers,” Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Dr. Kongsy Sengmany was quoted as saying to Lao media.
The new college will offer six courses and enroll around 300 students each year when it opens. Courses will include train driving, station services, and electrical repairs and maintenance, among other aspects of railway machinery functioning.
The Laos-China Railway will run some 426 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.
Laos announced that the Laos-China Railway is scheduled to officially open in early December this year.
