VIENTIANE — The Laos-China Railway Company (LCRC) has announced it will operate slower-speed trains in addition to the two existing high-speed EMU (electric multiple unit) trains to meet the growing needs of passengers.

The LCRC has been running two pairs of EMU trains every day, one pair between Vientiane and Boten bordering China, and another between Vientiane and the ancient capital of Luang Prabang.

The company is also planning to run an additional 120 km/h air-conditioned passenger train on the railway. The first such train has arrived in Vientiane on Feb 22.

According to the operation department of the LCRC, the train, with a total of 15 carriages including 14 hard-seated carriages and one soft sleeping car, can carry 1,664 passengers.

The LCRC is currently preparing for the opening of the 120 km/h train in accordance with the local demands, and the specific opening time and the number of carriages will be further clarified.

As of Feb 22, the Lao section of the China-Laos Railway had run 146 pairs of EMU passenger trains, transporting 144,610 passengers, with a maximum of 2,804 on Jan 3 and an average occupancy rate of 68.76 percent.

With the approaching of the Lao New Year, the LCRC is studying and formulating an operation plan of additional trains during the most important festival in Laos.

The China-Laos Railway connects Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan province with the Lao capital Vientiane. The 1,035-km cross-border railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, was launched on Dec 3, 2021.