Landlocked Laos cranks up rail plans
LINKS TO MEKONG NEIGHBOURS AND CHINA AIMED AT MAKING THE COUNTRY A LAND TRANSPORT HUB
The Nation30 Aug 2017
LAOS is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to build a railway network that will connect the landlocked country with its neighbours and the rest of the region, railway authorities say.
In its latest move, the Lao government plans to hold talks with Cambodia to discuss the construction of a 150-kilometre railway linking Pakxe, the capital of southern Champassak province, to Veunkham on the Cambodian border.
We havent discussed this with Cambodia yet but we plan to, deputy director general of the Lao Railway Department, Sengthavisay Malivanh, told visiting new editors from across Asia at a meeting in Vientiane.
Sengthavisay gave a presentation on Laos plan for a rail network, saying that six lines have been planned to turn Laos into key land link within the region.
Some of these projects are already under construction while one short section is operational. The six railways are: the Lao-Thai Project, the LaosChina Railway Project; SavannakhetLao Bao; Vientiane-Thakhek-Mu Gia; Thakhek-Savannakhet-PakxeVangtau; and Pakxe-Veunkham (LaoCambodian border).
Completed in 2009, the only operational railway is a 3.5-km section of track linking Vientiane with Thailands rail network in Nong Khai province, which carries a passenger train.
Freight transport on this railway is set to be operational soon following the completion of a container yard at Laos Thanalaeng Railway Station on the outskirts of Vientiane, the only railway station in the country.
Extension phase
Construction of the extension phase of the Laos-Thailand railway is set to begin in the coming months. This will extend the railway from the Thanalaeng Station to Vientianes city centre over a distance of 7.5 km, Sengthavisay told the visiting editors.
The editors were in Laos to attend a two-day meeting of of the Asia News Network, an alliance of 24 media organisations in 20 countries.
The Laos-Thailand railway extension is expected to be completed by July 2020. In addition, construction of the 414-km Laos-China railway linking Vientiane with the Chinese border - which began on December 25, 2016 - is now 8.3 per cent complete.
Some 47 tunnels are being bored with a total length of 2,951 metres, along with other components of the railway.
Concerning the 220-km SavanLao Bao railway connecting central Savannakhet province to the Vietnamese border, Sengthavisay said the authorities in charge are reviewing its feasibility and the configuration of the track is being revised.
The railway would link with Thailands rail network on one side and access Vietnams Dongha Port on the other side. In addition, a pre-feasibility study of the 455-km VientianeThakhek-Mu Gia track linking Vientiane with Vietnams Vung Ang port was completed in 2011.
A draft report of the project has been completed and the final report will be finished in November this year.
Elsewhere, authorities are preparing to carry out a feasibility study of the 345-km Thakhaek-SavannakhetPakxe-Vangtao railway.
This would connect Thakhaek district, the capital of central Khammuan province, with the Thai border at Vangtao via Savannakhet and Champassak provinces. Sengthavisay said a pre-feasibility study for this railway was completed in December 2013.
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