The first China - Laos - Thailand - Malaysia express freight train recently departed from Chengdu, the capital of China’s southwestern Sichuan province, marking a significant milestone in regional trade connectivity.

A train runs from China through Laos to Thailand in 2023. (File photo: chinadaily.com.cn)

The train, carrying 30 containers of LCD monitors and new energy vehicles, travels along the China - Laos railway line and then rail networks of Laos and Thailand before reaching Malaysia.

It takes the train five days to arrive in Thailand and eight days in Malaysia, halving transportation time compared to the traditional sea route from Qinzhou city of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Insiders said this rail route will further expand the reach of the Laos - China rail services, thus promoting economic and trade ties among China, Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia. It will also help accelerate the development of the regional inland railway network, providing new support for economic interaction and growth between Sichuan and Southeast Asia.

Earlier, China and Thailand had connected their railway networks though the Laos - China railway line, helping reduce the transportation time from Thailand to the southwest of China to one - two days instead of one week of sea transportation.

Source: VNA