Illustrative image (Source: phnompenhpost.com)According tothe newspaper, the railway, estimated to cost 5 billion USD, is a proposed linethat the Lao and Vietnamese governments have agreed to jointly develop. Itwould enable landlocked Laos to access the deep seaport - the closest feasibleseaport to Vientiane.
Chairman of theBoard of Directors of Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PetroTrade), ChanthoneSitthixay, told the Lao National Assembly Chairman Xaysomphone Phomvihane,recently that a feasibility study on the 554km railway has been completed.
The Vientiane Times said the NA leader was briefed on the project during aworking tour to the Thanaleng Dry Port and Vientiane Logistics Park inVientiane, which is also part of the Lao Logistics Link.
The railway is part of the Lao Logistics Link project that PetroTrade - asubsidiary company of PTL Holding Company Limited - was given the green lightto partner with the Lao and Vietnamese governments to develop.
The Lao developer is about to submit the results of a feasibility study on thesection of railway that passes through Laos to the Ministry of Public Works andTransport for approval.
Meanwhile, a Vietnamese state enterprise has been hired to carry out afeasibility study on the section of the railway in Vietnam. The study isexpected to be complete in June and will then be submitted to Vietnam’sNational Assembly for approval in the middle of this year.
The railway will directly connect the cargo markets of Thailand and Myanmarwith the Vung Ang Port, which is well positioned to serve as a gateway betweencentral Vietnam, central Laos, and northeastern Thailand.
The railway is also set to link with the Laos-China Railway and onwards to theinterconnected rail network that could reach European markets./.
VNA
