Rail freight set to cut transport costs significantly
The transport of goods by railway could cut costs by 30 to 50 percent of the current charges for road transportation, a senior government official has said. Deputy Director General of the Lao Railway Department, Mr Sonesack N. Nhansana, told Vientiane Times on March 28 that Lao and Thai officials are preparing for the start of freight rail transport between the two countries. However, a precise date for the start of such a service has not yet been decided. Lao and Thai authorities last week held an official ceremony to hand over a 38,000 square-metre container yard and other facilities at Laos’ Thanalaeng railway station in Vientiane, as part of the Lao-Thai Railway Construction Project Phase II (Section I).
