Laos: Difference between revisions

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DETAILS (MAY NOT EXIST)
DETAILS (MAY NOT EXIST)
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===Gauges===
===Gauges===
* Standard gauge line (~420 km) from Vientiane to China.
* Standard gauge line (~420 km) from Vientiane north to China.
* Metre gauge (~9 km) from a separate station in Vientiane into Thailand.  
* Metre gauge (~9 km) from a separate station in Vientiane south into Thailand.  


Transhipment is apparently possible from a siding just north of the Mekong River bridge between Laos and Thailand from a freight only stub beyond Vientiane LCR station.
Transhipment is apparently possible from a siding just north of the Mekong River bridge between Laos and Thailand from a freight only stub beyond Vientiane LCR station.


===Electrification===
===Electrification===
25 kV 50 Hz AC on the LCR to China
25 kV 50 Hz AC on the LCR to China.
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===Rule of the road===
===Rule of the road===

Revision as of 19:41, 26 February 2025

Country Details

See Wikipedia

Railway System

Railway Operators

  • Laos–China Railway Company Limited (LCR) for the 422 km standard gauge line to China.
  • State Railway of Thailand (SRT) for the ~ 9km of the Northeastern, metre guage, Line which reaches into Laos.

Maps

Timetable

Information is available at the Man in Seat 61.

The LCR timetable is available at LCR timetable valid from 22 January 2024.

Ticketing

On the High Speed line [as at January 2025] no ticket purchase is possible until 2 or 3 three days before travel... See Man in Seat 61 for options.

See Laos Train Tickets which also has information about the LCR line

The LCR Ticket App has been recommended. LCR Ticket is the official mobile phone ticketing application software launched by Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. The software has functions such as ticket inquiry, reservation, online payment, ticket change, refund, order inquiry, frequent contact management, and personal data modification.

Gauges

  • Standard gauge line (~420 km) from Vientiane north to China.
  • Metre gauge (~9 km) from a separate station in Vientiane south into Thailand.

Transhipment is apparently possible from a siding just north of the Mekong River bridge between Laos and Thailand from a freight only stub beyond Vientiane LCR station.

Electrification

25 kV 50 Hz AC on the LCR to China.

Metro and light rail systems

None

Visit Report

See Laos - Visit Reports

Recent and Future Changes

Recent Changes

The previous just crossing the border [on a combined road/rail bridge] Metre Gauge Bangkok - Nong Khai [SRT] - Thanaleng service was extended 8km further into Laos from 19 July 2024 to terminate at the new Vientiane Khamsavath station. Note Khamsavath station is still 9km from the city centre and in a different location to the High Speed line railway station in Vientiane.

The 418 km railway linking Vientiane and the Chinese border at Boten was formally opened on 3 December 2021. A regular once a day cross-border passenger service between Kunming in China and Vientiane commenced on 13 April 2023.

Future Changes

A Laotian and a Vietnamese company reported in March 2023 that they have the backing of their respective national governments for a study into the construction of a 555 km railway between Vientiane and the port of Vũng Áng in Vietnam.

There is assumed to be a plan to extend the existing China – Laos standard gauge railway into Thailand as an approved Thai scheme makes provision for freight transhipment facilities between SRT’s metre and standard gauge at Nong Khai in Thailand. Completion of the Thai line from Bangkok to Nong Khai is scheduled for 2030.


Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

Not frequent even on the LCR towards China, with only 1 pair daily crossing the border. 2 pairs a day to/from Thailand. None Obscure.