The first station along the Laos-China Railway was completed on Wednesday, marking a significant occasion for the railway line.
The last concrete casting on top of Nateuy Station has been completed, making it the first station fully constructed along the train line.
Nateuy Station includes one platform and three tracks, a station hall, a waiting hall, ticket halls, substations, and offices. The station, located some 20 kilometers from the Boten Border Crossing, will be a key passenger and freight distribution center in Laos, Xinhua reports.
China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG) has continued to work diligently in the face of setbacks including monsoon weather and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite many challenges, the engineers ensured that the station was completed on Wednesday, ahead of schedule.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Vientiane Station was held in July.
Vientiane Station, located in Xay Village, Xaythany District, is to be built by China Railway Construction Group. The station will consist of four platforms with seven track lines and two additional platforms with three lines reserved.
The station will accommodate up to 2,500 passengers with a total area of 14,543 square meters, according to Laos-China Railway Co. (LCRC), the Vientiane-based joint venture enterprise responsible for the development and operation of the railway.
“Vientiane Station will be the largest passenger station of the Laos-China railway, and it is expected to connect with the other railway lines planned by the Lao side,” said Head of the Laos-China Railway Project Management Committee under the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Mr. Chantoula Phanalasy at the ceremony.
The Laos-China Railway project has been constructed under Chinese management and to Chinese technological standards and is scheduled to open to traffic in December 2021.
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.
