KUNMING, March 19 -- Since it began operations, the China-Laos Railway has handled over 9,000 international cargo trains, carrying a total of 7.95 million tonnes of import and export goods as of Tuesday, data from China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd. showed.

Since the beginning of this year, the railway has transported 1.15 million tonnes of cross-border goods as of Tuesday, a year-on-year increase of 33.7 percent.

The Mohan railway port has implemented measures to enhance transportation capacity, improve customs clearance efficiency, and reduce logistics costs, said the bureau's cargo transport department.

The customs clearance time for international cargo trains on the China-Laos Railway has been reduced from more than 40 hours in the initial stage to less than five hours now. Additionally, the port can now handle up to 18 international cargo trains in a single day.

The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, began operations in December 2021. The 1,035-kilometer railway connects Kunming in China with Vientiane in Laos.

The railway's cargo transport services have covered 12 Belt and Road partner countries.