UN ESCAP Fourth Meeting of the Working Group Meetng on the Trans-Asian Railway Network , 23-24 November 2015

Laos Country Paper

Ministry of Public Works and Transport

Department of Railways 1 1. Introduction 2. Planned Railway Network 3. Recent Development

2 1. Introduction

3 The Old Port on the River

Mekong Waterfall

4 Steam Locomotives Operated on the Khong Island (1920-1940)

5 The Old Railway Embankment and Track on the Khong Island

6 An Old Railway Bridge on the Khong Island

7 2. Planned Railway Network

8 Planned Railway Network

• – Luangphrabang - Boten (220 km); • Nongkhai - Vientiane - - Mu Gia (480 km); • Vangtau/ (Lao - Thai border) - - – Laobao (452 km); • (Lao -Thai border) - Savannakhet - Lao Bao (222 km).

9 3. Recent Development

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3.1 Lao-Thai Railway Phase 1: Thanaleng-Friendship Bridge Railway Construction Project

• Financial support of 197 mill. baht (of which 30% and 70% are grant and soft loan respectively) by the Thai Government; • Construction period: Oct. 2006 – May 2008; • Grand Opening of Lao-Thai Railway Operation: 9 March 2009.

11 Ground Breaking Ceremony on 19 January 2007 at km 1+850

12 Thanaleng-Friendship Bridge Railway Construction Project

13 Thanaleng-Nongkhai Railway Construction Project

14 Thanaleng-Friendship Bridge Railway Construction Project

15 Grand Opening Ceremony of Lao-Thai Train Operation co-presided over by H.E. Mr. Boungnang Vorachit, Vice President of the Lao PDR and HRH Princess Sinrinthorn of the Kingdom of at , 5 March 2009 16 Annual Number of Passengers

47,532 46,509 [VALUE] 50,000 [VALUE] [VALUE] 45,000 34,432 40,000

35,000

30,000 s

25,000

20,000 Passenger

15,000

10,000

5,000 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 0 1

17 Monthly Number of Passengers at Thanaleng Station

4,500 4,000

3,500 3,000 2014 2013 2,500 2012

2,000Passengers 2011 1,500 2010 1,000 2009 500 Months 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2014 3,225 3,162 3,029 2,522 2,421 2,631 3,361 4,043 3,005 2013 3,214 2,711 2,702 2,350 2,351 2,307 3,065 3,085 1,847 2,389 2,816 3,406 2012 3,710 3,233 2,960 2,676 2,260 2,412 3,649 2,979 1,940 2,068 3,122 3,207 2011 3,680 3,427 3,179 2,944 2,604 2,571 3,783 3,700 2,233 1,570 1,748 2,904 2010 3,484 3,899 2,922 2,183 2,036 1,886 2,644 2,704 1,918 2,371 2,371 2,550 2009 1,522 2,090 2,248 2,331 3,499 2,935 1,965 3,123 2,556 3,519 18 3.2 Lao-Thai Railway Phase 2

• Detailed Design Completed in July 2010 (Grant Aid of the Thailand); • Financial Support of Thailand signed April 2012, which is worth 1.65 billion baht (30% grant); • Construction Contract for Container Yard and Facilities and Upgrading Signaling and Telecom Systems at Thanaleng station (more than 591 million baht) was signed 27 Sep. 2013. Construction period is 18 months.

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Lao – Thai Railway Construction Project (Phase 2)

Construction Period (This Stage)

 The construction of railway tracks from Thanaleng station to CY with the length of 2 km and 3 siding tracks at Thanaleng station,  Two lanes of access road pavement from the level crossing to the gate of CY with the length of 2.4 Km.  Construction of Railway Department Office and row house  The construction of container yard (CY), including platform, operator office, warehouse, garbage house, gate and weight station, and pump house.

Thanaleng Station

To Thailand Existing Tracks

Siding Tracks

Construction of Siding Track at Thanaleng Station

- Construction of 3 siding Tracks, including other Related Structures

- Improvement of Signaling and Telecommunication System

Siding Track at Thanaleng Station – Pic 01 Thanaleng Station

Existing Tracks

Siding Tracks

Construction of Siding at Thanaleng Station

- Construction of 3 siding Tracks, including other Related Structures

- Improvement of Signaling and Telecommunication System

Siding Track at Thanaleng Station – Pic 02 Construction Activities Photograph Railway Mainline, Track Works, Signaling and Telecommunication Construction Activities Photograph Railway Mainline, Track Works, Signaling and Telecommunication Construction Activities Photographs Pass 3 - VLP (Container Yard, CY), Roadwork, Platform, Operator Office, Warehouse, Gate and Weight Station, Pump House CY Layout Operator Office Warehouse Gate and Weight Station Construction Activities Photographs Container Yard CY), Roadwork, Platform, Operator Office, Warehouse, Gate and Weight Station, Pump House Construction Activities Photographs Container Yard CY, Roadwork, Platform, Operator Office, Warehouse, Gate and Weight Station, Pump House Construction Activities Photographs Container Yard CY Roadwork, Platform, Operator Office, Warehouse, Gate and Weight Station, Pump House Construction Activities Photographs Pass 2 Vientiane Station, RWD Main Office and Row House

TEAM Consulting Engineering and Management Co., Ltd. Construction Activities Photographs Railway Department Office and Row House 3.3 Lao-Sino Railway Project 泛 West corridor 亚

铁 Central corridor

路 East 示 corridor 意 图 Lao-Sino Railway Project

• MOU signed on 7 April 2010. • Cooperation Area: Railway planning, financing, construction, operation and management, rolling stock maintenance and staff training. • F/S completed in June 2012 by China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co. Ltd;

36

Lao-Sino Railway Project

• Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in Railway Infrastructure Dev. and the Lao-Sino Railway Project signed 13 Nov. 2015. • Financial Framework Agreement on Lao-Sino Railway Project signed 13 Nov. 2015. • The financing and related ageements to be negotiated with the People’s Republic of China .

37

Laos - Sino Railway Project Boten-Vientiane Railway is the shortest route from to

 Features • Design for both passenger and freight traffic • Total length: approx.420km; Tunnels: 190 km; Bridges: approx.90 km • Design speed: 160 km/h and 120 km/h for passenger and freight trains respectively • Tracks: single standard gauge (1,435 mm) line (with double track reserved) • Traction: Electrical • Main Stations: 5 (passing through Luangnamtha, Oudomxay, Luang- phrabang, Vientiane Provinces and the Capital City) •Estimated construction period: 5 years  Challenges: • Only Vangvieng-Vientiane 80 km is plain, the other region is all mountains, most section of the railway cross the bridges and tunnels • Complexity of geological conditions along the route • Lack of existing supporting facilities (roads, power supply grid) • Unexploded ordnance (UXO)

• High environmental requirements 39

3.4 Other Railway Projects

1. Vientiane – Thakhek – Mu Gia Railway (450 km)

 Pre-feasibility study was completed in March 2011 by Chung Suk Co. (grant aid by Republic of Korea ROK);

 ROK granted 3 mill. USD for the FS on Vientiane-Vung Ang railway link under the ASEAN-ROK Cooperation framework and to be started at the end of 2015.

2. Savannakhet - Laobao Railway (220 km)

 Pre-F/S was completed in Sep 2009 by Giant Group Co. Ltd;

 A concession was granted to Giant Group in November 2012 for the implementation on BOOT basis.

40 3.4 Other Railway Projects (contd.)

3. Thakhek-Savannakhet-Pakse-Vangtau/Chong Mek (324 km)

 Pre-Feasibility Study completed in December 2013 by TESO Engineering Co. Ltd (grant aid of ROK)

41 3.5 Regional Cooperation Mechanism

 Association of South-East Nations ASEAN • Land Transport Working Group/Railway Subworking Group • Singapore-Kunming Rail Link Special Working Group  Greater Mekong Subregion GMS • GMS Transport Forum • GMS Railway Association GMRA (MoU for the Establishment of GMRA signed in 2013) 42

3.6 Multilateral and Bilateral Agreements

- Intergovernmental Agreement on Trans-Asian Railway Network (November 2006) was ratified on 29 March 2011.

- ASEAN Framework Agreements on • the Facilitation of Goods in Transit (AFAFGIT); • the Facilitation of Inter-State Transport (AFAFIST); • Multimodal Transport (AFAMT)

- Crossborder Transport Agreement on the Movement of Goods and People in the Greater Mekong Subregion GMS CBTA (1999).

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•

3.6 Multilateral and Bilateral Agreements (Cont.)

- Agreement on Joint Traffic Working between the Lao PDR and the Kingdom of Thailand signed in 1997, then renewed on 30 March 2008.

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Thank you

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