The China-Laos Railway is being used as a logistics route for tropical fruit shipments from Southeast Asia into China, supporting durian flows during the current peak harvest period. Varieties from Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia are now entering the market.
This month, the Lancang-Mekong Express freight train, loaded with Thai durians, has been arriving daily in Kunming, Yunnan Province, completing the cross-border journey in 26 hours. From Kunming, shipments are distributed to more than 30 cities, including Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, and Shenyang, within 48 hours using rail-road intermodal transport.
Thailand is currently exporting around 1,500 refrigerated containers of durians to China per day. Tropical fruits from Southeast Asia, including durians and mangosteens, are being transported via the China-Laos Railway, supported by customs clearance procedures, transit times, and reduced spoilage rates. Volumes are expected to peak in mid-to-late April, according to China Railway Kunming Group.
To manage volumes during the peak period, railway authorities in China and Laos have increased the number of Lancang-Mekong Express freight trains from two to six per day.
"We have opened a 'green channel' for durian transport, prioritizing unloading, transshipment, dispatch, and clearance. After the trains arrive, we strictly adhere to the operational standard of completing vehicle unloading and container transfer within 90 minutes," said He Ruiqi of China Railway Kunming Group.
China Railway Kunming Group has deployed more than 4,000 refrigerated containers to support cold-chain capacity during the peak period. The system covers the full logistics chain, with durians loaded into refrigerated containers shortly after harvest in Thailand and transported via rail to Kunming in less than three days.
With durians, mangosteens, and other tropical fruits now in peak season, total volumes transported via the China-Laos Railway in 2026 are expected to exceed 200,000 tons, according to local railway authorities.
Source: Xinhua
