1st substation on Lao rail section put into service

China Southern Power Grid (Yunnan branch) said the first traction substation on the Lao section of China-Laos railway was put into service on July 24, having gone through a 24-hour trial operation of being electrified.

The completed 115 kV power transmission project extends for 24.2 kilometers along the international railway section in Phonhong, capital town of Vientiane Province, Laos.

In the days to come, the Yunnan power company will further join hands with Laos-China Railway Company and Lao State Electricity Corporation in putting another 9 substations into operation.

The 422km Lao section runs from Boten border gate in northern Laos bordering China to Vientiane with an operating speed of 160 km per hour.

The China-Laos railway is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

Reporting by Wang Huan (Yunnan Daily); With input from Xinhua; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue