Lao-China Railway Info by Hobo Maps - - - HOME
See our other web pages for Lao-China Railway Construction , Lao-China Railway Schedules and Lao-ChinaRailway Maps
Also see our Facebook page with similar info HERE
International train D85/D86 between Luang Prabang and Sipsong Panna (Jinghong) only goes 6 times a week - every day except Wednesday.
Railway Timetable Schedule below:
LCR = Lao-China Railway - Passenger line is entirely powered by rainfall
At most train stations advance tickets can be purchased up to 3 days before the departure date and payment must be in cash. Passengers are not able to purchase tickets for return travel at the same time as purchasing tickets for the first part of a round trip.
Ticket sales offices away from the train stations are also now open in central Luang Prabang and on the ground floor of Vientiane Center in central Vientiane. Purchaser must show valid ID with passenger name. You can buy a maximum of two tickets per person and you can pay with cash. The ticket office also accepts payments with POS (UnionPay) card swipe machine and QR code (OnePay). No VISA or Mastercard is accepted (yet). A service fee of 20,000 kip per ticket is charged.
A photocopy of a passengers identity card is sufficient to purchase the ticket but the original identity card must be used by the passenger on the day of travel.
Online Advance Railway Ticket Sales are now possible using Google Play app "LCR ticket" on a smart phone based in Laos, Thailand or China. Can download app now in Android or iOS but many foreigners are having trouble using the app - may be able to pay by UnionPay\Alipay\WeChat VISA and Mastercard.
When seating on trains is sold out we see some people traveling with "Seatless" tickets. Not sure how buying these tickets works but there seems to be a 6,000 kip extra charge for these tickets even though the passenger is forced to stand or find a temporary vacant seat. Best chance for getting a "Seatless" ticket would be on the K11/K12 Ordinary Train.
Charts below show ticket costs for trains departing from Vientiane & Luang Prabang in January 2024 & after. Excludes agent fees and extra 20,000 kip charged when using App or buying at ticket offices not at railway station. See our other web page for more fares charts HERE.
Tickets With Names - People who purchase train tickets must now show passenger identification documents and passenger names will be printed on the tickets. Passengers must keep their ticket with them at all times on the train trip and show it when leaving the arrival station or face a fine. People are allowed to buy tickets for other people - just need to show a copy of their passport or national ID card.
Passengers should arrive at the station at least one hour before departure time and remain in the waiting area for inspection of tickets and documents. Passengers without tickets should arrive at least 1.5 hours before departure time since you need to queue for ticket purchase and again for entry to the station and then go through security checks.
New Lao-China Railway (LCR) ticket sales office is now open at Khamsavath Railway Station in Vientiane. Khamsavath is a new station and not part of LCR but part of the Lao-Thai Railway system. We are waiting for details of hours open and payment options. See ticket counter image below.
Vientiane Center ticket sales (see image below) is located on our Vientiane Central Map between Talat Sao market and Parkson's dept. store.
A ticket sales office is now open in central Luang Prabang - see location of Luang Prabang ticket sales office on our Luang Prabang Central Map.
Passengers are advised to bring their own food and drinks.
Passenger check-in procedure images below:
Only 20 kilograms of carry-on baggage is officially allowed for each passenger on the high-speed EMS trains but we never see anyone checking. Ordinary trains supposedly allow more carry-on baggage. Wheelchairs for disabled passengers are allowed and some stations have elevator access.
Vientiane Station Parking - Fees are now being charged for vehicle parking at Vientiane Train Station - 5,000 kip for motorbikes and 10,000 kip for passenger vehicles. Overnight parking for cars is 80,000 kip. Vehicles no longer have to pay a fee to pick up or drop off passengers if their vehicles stay less than 10 minutes.
Vang Vieng railway statation is also charging fees for vehicles to enter the station parking area - 3,000 kip for motorbikes & 20,000 kip for cars. There is a free drop-off place 100 meters before the station entrance so most vehicles stop there and passengers walk in free.
Luang Prabang station allows free vehicle entry for a stay of less than 10 minutes but has a fee for longer stay.
E-cigarettes and vaping are not legal in Laos and these items may be confiscated by train station security staff. Separate police action is possible with fines or prosecution.
Playing cards is considered a form of gambling and players may be fined if seen playing in a station or on the train, even if money is not involved - very strange.
Items prohibited from being carried by passengers into the stations or on trains are:
1) Weapons and ammunition of any kind such as pistols, rifles, sports rifles and other modified guns. (The rule does not apply to civil servants, police officers and soldiers.
2) All kinds of explosives such as fireworks and rocket-propelled grenades.
3) Chemicals, including hydrogen, methane, ethane, butane, ethylene, propylene, acetylene, carbon monoxide, liquefied petroleum gas, fluoride, oxygen (except for medical purposes), gasoline, diesel and kerosene.
4) Drugs of all kinds, including heroin, ephedrine, crystal meth, cocaine and marijuana.
5) Sharp objects such as knives, axes, cutters, etc. that can cause injury or death.
6) Animals, both alive and dead, including cats and dogs.
7) Food that smells bad or watery food that can cause uncleanliness and dirty the surroundings of the train or stations.
8) Aerosol cans
Power banks (battery backups) seem to be allowed on trains with no restrictions.
Snacks cart images below on ordinary train in 2023.
The Railway Project was promoted, designed and largely financed by the People's Republic of China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. The project is managed by The Laos-China Railway Company Ltd. Total cost was around US $6 billion.
The Project is planned to eventually have 33 railway stations in total of which 20 or 21 will be operational in the first phase with 12 to be placed into service later. The Project has 5 major stations in Laos - at Boten, Muang Xai (Oudom Xay), Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane and 4 major stations in Yunnan China - Mohon, Jinghong, Pu'er & Kunmingan. There are 10 stations in Laos where passengers can board and disembark the Ordinary Train - in Vientiane, Phonhong, Vang Vieng, Kasi, Luang Prabang, Muang Nga, Muang Xay (Oudom Xay), Namor, Natuey and Boten.
In November 2024 an average of 10,000 passengers are taking railway trips each day.
Snacks, sandwich & drink carts and hot water dipenser on Fast Trains image below: No cold water dispensary.
Fast trains operate at a maximum speed of 160 km per hour with the trip between Vientiane and Vang Vieng taking 40 minutes and 9.5 hours from Vientiane to Kunming.
Fast Trains have 9 carriages - the control car with Business Class seats, a dining car, a first class car with 62 seats and 6 second class coaches. There are about 720 air conditioned seats total. Each seat has an electrical power outlet for use by passengers.
1st Class car interiors on left below and 2nd Class on right with happy passengers, nice drop-town tables and good leg room:
All seats have electric outlets available for passengers use as in the image below:
Ordinary Train - The K11/K12 ordinary train travels slower at maximum 120 km per hour and can carry 732 passengers in air conditioned carriages - 590 chair seats, 106 wide chair seats and 36 seat/sleeper beds.
Ordinary train tickets are sold in advance and also for same-day travel and immediate departure so passengers may have a good chance to a get a ticket and a seat if they arrive early and may not need to purchase tickets in advance. Fares are lower than fares for the high-speed trains. Passengers will be allowed to carry more baggage on ordinary trains than the 20 kilogram limit per passenger on the fast trains.
Ordinary Train images below:
Luang Prabang Railway Station image below:
Minivan transport from Luang Prabang Railway Station to central town signs below in June 2023. Very reasonable prices for drop-off at destination that passenger chooses.
The railway Project is often referred to as the Laos-China Railway by foreigners while Lao people often say Lao-China instead of Laos-China. English-language media in China refer to the Project as China-Laos Railway while the name in Chinese is - 老中�ô��» . Other names include the Vientiane-Boten Railway and Boten-Vientiane Railway
Railway distance chart below:
The Lao-China Railway is a 1,037 kilometer-long railway line in northern Lao PDR and Yunnan China. 996 km of this is now operating for passeng travel between Vientiane station and Kunming South station. A 13 km section between Vientiane and Vientiane South stations is in cargo-only use now and a 28 km section between Kunming South station and Kunming station is also cargo-only at this time for Lao-China Railway.
This Project is only one section of a larger plan to link Kunming to Singapore by modern high-speed rail lines.
International Train Info
There are four major stations on the China side - at Mohon, Jinghong, Pu'er & Kunming south. 59% of the systems 1,037 km length lies in China and 41% in Laos. China clocks are one hour ahead of Lao clocks.
Lao-China Railway started new daily cross-border international train service between Kunming and Vientiane on April 13, 2023.
Train D88 departs Vientiane at 8:08 am Lao time and arrives at Kunming South Station at 6:34 pm Lao time. Train D87 departs Kunming South Station at 8:08 am China time and arrives in Vientiane at 4:34 pm Lao time.
There are 8 stops along the route from Vientiane to Kunming. The full travel time including immigration and customs clearance is 9.5 hours (about 8 hours and 88 minutes).
A first-class seat on the International train from Vientiane to Kunming costs 2,592,000 kip in 1st Class and 1,626,000 kip in 2nd Class.
Tickets for train D88 can only be bought in Laos while tickets for train D87 can only be bought in China.
Railway immigration forms images below for international travel between Laos and China that passengers must complete at the departure station in Laos before starting their trip. Required info includes departure info, contacts in China and countries and regions the passenger has visited in the prior two years,
Train D87 Kunming to Vientiane (southbound).
1. Remember to apply for Laos visa before traveling from China to Laos if your nationality does not have visa-free arrival for Laos. Most passengers will need a hard copy E-visa letter or a Lao visa in their passport to take the train into Laos.
2. There are only snacks and drinks available on the train - no main dish offered on board. Bring your own food.
3. Chinese Yuan is no longer accepted on board the train once the train crosses into Laos
4. Probably no money exchange at Laos stations
Rules for International Train travel below;
Boten to Kunming Railway Lines Map below:
In 2023 Laos-China Railway is averaging 5,300 passengers per day with the highest passenger count of 12,584 on a single day.
Since the start of the cross-border train on 13 April 2023, an average of 201 people per day have been traveling into China and 190 people traveling into Laos.
Cargo transport is averaging 8,450 tons per day with a maximum single-day of 15,250 tons.
LaoChina Railway track image below just north of Vang Vieng Nov. 2021:
Laos-China Railway Company control center image below:
Videos - See our YouTube videos of moving trains as they came into Vang Vieng - Fast Train Double - Ordinary Train - Freight Train - International Train . The freight train used only two engine cars to pull 38 freight cars loaded with containers. That's 38 fewer trucks on roads in Laos.
See our video of this green-colored China Railway international train EMU (D87/D88) coming into Vang Vieng 16 April 2023 - China Railway International Train
Fast train, Freight train & Ordinary train images below near Vang Vieng in 2022.
Fast train carriages layouts below. Not every train has a Business Class car and tickets are hard to get.
The Company in Sept. 2023 purchased a new electric multiple-unit (EMU) train which is the 5th and the seat layout is below.
Boten to China Border Gate image below:
The Lao-China Railway is now accepting cargo freight for transport. Customers may call the numbers below for more info.
Boten Station 021-891412 021-8914. 021-891822 021-891532
Natuey Station 021-891039 021-89 1029 021- 891044
Oudom Xay (Muang Xay) station 021-891169
Luang Prabang Station 021-891099
Kasi station 021-891149
Vang Vieng station 021-891179 021-891199
Phonhong station 021-891219
South Vientiane Station 021-891259 021-891334
The cost of shipping freight on the railway is estimated to be 30-40 percent cheaper than by road.
In full operation there will be 22 loading and unloading stations for freight. One customer reports sending his bicycle as cargo but it was required to be in a box.
Lao-China railway service hotline helps passengers, shippers and others obtain railway service information at 021-891891 between 09:00 and 16:00 daily.
Railway tickets are half price for children between 120 and 150 centimeters tall and no charge for children less than 120 centimeters tall.
