VIENTIANE — With the cast of the last can of concrete, the main structure of Boten Station, Laos' border gate station along the China-Laos railway, constructed by the China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG) was successfully concluded.

The roof-sealing ceremony was held on Dec 20 at the station, some 440 km north of Lao capital Vientiane, which marked the shift from the main structure construction phase to the steel grid installation, electromechanical installation and decoration.

The Boten Station, neighboring Mohan of southwestern Yunnan province, is the first railroad station after entering Laos from China, with a construction area of 6,500 square meters and two platforms. The station house is situated on the west side of the railway, and the station adopts the integrated design of customs clearance, which officially commenced on August 16, with the maximum reception capacity of 300 passengers.

During the four-month construction, the CRCEG project department strictly implemented the specific requirements of standardized site assessment, performed standardized management, construction and inspection. The CRCEG also invited Chinese experts to validate the plan, and deployed Chinese professional technicians to carry out on-site construction.

The 422-km China-Laos railway, with 198-km-long tunnels and 62-km bridges, will run from Boten border gate in northern Laos, bordering China, to Vientiane with an operating speed of 160 km per hour.

The project started in December 2016 and is scheduled to be completed and operational in December 2021.