The China-Laos Railway, which opened for full service on December 3, 2021, has transformed from a blueprint into a vital artery traversing valleys and borders over the past five years. This steel corridor has evolved from a simple route into a sprawling economic belt. Yunnan Provincial International Train Trading Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of Yunnan Investment Group) has focused on sourcing goods, innovating transport models, and fostering industrial collaboration. By working with railway authorities to continuously upgrade transport services, it has tackled key bottlenecks in cross-border logistics, translating the railway's operational benefits into tangible cost reductions for businesses, real savings on household tables, and smoother regional industrial chains.

The "Price Reduction Logic" of a Durian: A Cold Chain Leading to Sweet Days: At the bustling Jinmazhengchang Fruit Wholesale Market in Kunming during peak summer, durian trade from Southeast Asia is vibrant. Previously, this "king of fruits" was a rare luxury for ordinary families due to long transport cycles and customs clearance hurdles that kept retail prices high. Now, affordable durians have become a common household item. Before the railway, road transport for Southeast Asian fruit imports suffered from low cross-border efficiency, rainy season congestion, and saturated cold-chain capacity at ports during peak durian season, leading to high spoilage rates. After the railway opened, Yunnan Provincial International Train Trading Co., Ltd. leveraged its platform role to optimize cross-border cold-chain transport, collaborating with railway authorities on the "Lancang-Mekong Express" international cold-chain train. This service offers a "one-container-to-end, full-temperature-control" solution, operating on a scheduled, fixed-time, fixed-route basis. The 26-hour journey from Kunming to Vientiane cuts traditional transport time by two-thirds. In April, the "Wangjiaying West-Vientiane South-Laem Chabang" China-Laos-Thailand full railway cold-chain round-trip train began regular operations, further establishing a "door-to-door" temperature-controlled supply chain. To handle durian season demand, the company increased the "Lancang-Mekong Express" cold-chain train frequency from one to around three daily, deploying over 3,000 specialized refrigerated containers. Facing rising oil prices and overall freight costs in the Laos-Thailand region in 2026, the company adjusted its market support policies, cutting durian transport fees on the Vientiane South-Kunming route by nearly 60%. For example, a single container of durians, initially valued at nearly 700,000 yuan, now costs around 470,000 yuan, making them more affordable. With each cost reduction, consumers benefit. Today, daily durian sales in second- and third-tier cities have nearly tripled since the railway's launch, moving from a seasonal treat to a daily staple. This shift in the durian market directly reflects how improved cross-border logistics enhance people's lives and exemplifies Yunnan Investment Group's commitment to prioritizing public satisfaction.

Digital Empowerment and Equipment Upgrades: Building a Smart, Efficient Cross-Border Transport Network: To accelerate the "golden corridor", both hardware and digital tools are essential. Yunnan Provincial International Train Trading Co., Ltd., driven by goods sourcing and platform operations, has collaborated with railway authorities to develop an information platform, expand cold-chain equipment, and innovate multimodal transport models. It independently launched a smart train service platform for the China-Laos Railway, covering full digital management of international train operations. By integrating core modules and enhancing data connectivity, it automates processes and unifies data management, boosting efficiency and customer service. To meet the surging demand for fresh product transport, the company worked with railway authorities to increase cold-chain container capacity from about 1,000 to 3,000 units annually and set up a green channel for fresh goods, ensuring temperature control within ±1°C from Vientiane loading to Kunming unloading, reducing spoilage rates below 5%. For "non-standard" goods like large machinery and steel, in August 2022, the company partnered with Shenzhen CIMC Group to develop and deploy 40-foot hard-top "Orange Growth Containers" with removable roofs and side doors, solving the problem of loading and transporting oversized items. It also promoted the "single document system" for multimodal transport, collaborating with railway authorities to streamline document recognition and information sharing. On August 30, 2022, the first "single document system" train departed, enabling "one-stop order, one-time settlement, one document to the end", integrating separate road and rail segments into a seamless chain.

"Lancang-Mekong Express+" Network Expansion: From Point-Based to Connected Grid: The "Lancang-Mekong Express" is a premium freight brand, and "Lancang-Mekong Express+" is its strategic extension into broader markets. Yunnan Provincial International Train Trading Co., Ltd. has focused on upgrading this brand, regularly operating the "Lancang-Mekong Express" series and exploring new "Lancang-Mekong Express+" international routes. Routes like Shanghai-Yunnan, Hunan-Yunnan, Yunnan-Guizhou, Guangdong-Yunnan, and Beijing-Yunnan have been launched, extending the railway's reach from points to a connected network. In March 2025, the first "Lancang-Mekong Express+" China-Laos-Thailand-Cambodia multimodal freight train successfully departed, reaching Vientiane in 26 hours before continuing by truck to Phnom Penh. Textile yarn from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, traveled from East China to Cambodia in just six days, half the time of traditional sea freight. Subsequently, the company participated in developing and promoting the "China-Laos-Thailand-Myanmar" new route, compressing cross-border transport time from 25-30 days by sea to 5-7 days. Yunnan Provincial International Train Trading Co., Ltd. has cultivated goods sources, expanded international markets, and improved corridor support, laying a solid foundation for the long-term sustainable development of the China-Laos Railway.

Resource Import "Artery": Injecting Stability into the Real Economy: The railway's significance extends beyond consumer goods to production inputs. Industries like steel and construction heavily rely on imported ores, and stable, efficient raw material supply is crucial for cost and competitiveness. As a provincial train platform, Yunnan Provincial International Train Trading Co., Ltd. has focused on goods sourcing, leveraging its aggregation effect to organize imports of bulk commodities like iron ore, zinc concentrate, and cassava starch via the railway. By using the efficient transport corridor, iron ore import transit time is about three days shorter than road transport, with overall logistics costs dropping over 40%, providing stable and efficient raw material supply chains for domestic steel companies. This "steel silk road" connects Southeast Asian resource markets with domestic industrial development, becoming a key link for regional industrial synergy.

Advanced Manufacturing Accelerates Exports: Two-Way Flow Activates Regional Economy: The golden corridor enables two-way flow. As Southeast Asian sweetness heads north, "Made in China" high-tech products head south. New energy vehicles, photovoltaic products, and electromechanical equipment are emerging as new growth drivers on the railway. In October 2024, a special train carrying 55 new energy buses departed from Guiyang's Dula Camp Station, exiting via the Mohan border port on the China-Laos Railway, arriving at Vientiane South. This was the first large-scale new energy vehicle transport on the railway. The company began preparation six months early, working with stakeholders to develop a cross-border transport plan, addressing loading, schedules, vehicle selection, and customs clearance. Tackling challenges like large vehicle size and lack of railway experience, it collaborated with railway, customs, Lao-China Railway Company, and manufacturers to solve over ten technical and procedural issues, including vehicle securing, axle load distribution, and cross-border document recognition, creating a complete railway transport channel for these vehicles. The successful first train provided replicable experience for future new energy equipment exports. Now, special trains carrying new energy vehicles and photovoltaic products continuously head to ASEAN, while returning durians, longans, and cassava flour fuel Chinese market consumption. This "two-way flow" achieves industrial chain complementarity, standard recognition, and information sharing. The railway's transport categories have expanded from simple minerals to over 3,800 items, including fresh produce, industrial raw materials, electronics, and daily necessities, enriching supplies for local populations. From a "logistics corridor" to an "economic corridor", the China-Laos Railway is reshaping the China-ASEAN trade geography. Yunnan Provincial International Train Trading Co., Ltd. consistently aims to build circulation platforms, smooth cross-border channels, and optimize services, unleashing market vitality and accelerating regional coordinated development. The railway's golden corridor effect is reflected not only in logistics efficiency and cost reduction but also in supporting the high-quality development of Yunnan's port economy, industrial parks, and resource economy. Thanks to the railway, port clearance capacity at Mohan has significantly improved, cross-border trade facilitation has increased, and industrial park agglomeration effects have accelerated, enhancing investment attraction. This "steel silk road" is a solid pillar for Yunnan's high-level opening-up, continuously empowering port prosperity, park upgrades, and resource value. Going forward, the company will align with the Southern International Corridor construction plan, continue expanding "Lancang-Mekong Express+" routes, deepen cooperation with railway authorities, upgrade cross-border transport services, optimize the smart train platform, and refine the "corridor + hub + network" modern logistics system, sustaining the momentum of the China-Laos Railway's golden corridor.