NONG KHAI (NNT) - Thailand and China have launched their first direct cargo rail link this week, connecting Nong Khai in Thailand with Chongqing in China via Laos. The inaugural service, carrying Thai agricultural products like dried longan, is considered a major step in enhancing rail connectivity under the New Land-Sea Corridor project, designed to improve trade routes between Southeast Asia, China, and Europe.
Chongqing, a major city in southwestern China, is positioned as the central hub of this project. The ceremony in Nong Khai on Dec 29 was attended by Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Captain Thamanat Prompow, along with representatives from various Thai and Chinese logistics and railway companies.
Thailand-China Inaugurate Key Rail Link
A train also left Chongqing carrying industrial sodium sulfate to Thailand. The rail service, expected to complete its journey in about four days, will operate based on export demand.
The development is a part of the expansive Belt and Road Initiative, aiming to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through a network of land and maritime trade routes, thereby facilitating increased trade and economic cooperation between the regions.