Thai durians reach China faster and cheaper via China-Laos Railway
Source: China Daily | 2026-04-29 | Editor:Doe
Fresh Thai durians arrive at Wangjiaying West Station in Kunming, Yunnan province, after a 26-hour journey via the China-Laos Railway. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Fresh Thai durians are reaching Chinese consumers faster and at lower prices, thanks to the cold-chain express via the China-Laos Railway.
On a recent morning, a freight train on the Lancang-Mekong Express Line of the China-Laos Railway, fully loaded with Thai durians, arrived at Wangjiaying West Station in Kunming, Yunnan province, after a 26-hour journey.
He Ruiqi, a staff member at the station, said that a green channel had been established for durians. After a train arrives, unloading and container transfers are completed within 90 minutes.
While some of these durians supplied the local market in Yunnan, the majority were delivered to over 30 cities across China within 48 hours via seamless rail-to-road transport.
Thai durians can now reach the Chengdu International Railway Port from the orchard in just five days via the railway, a journey that used to take seven to nine days by road or sea.
Efficient logistics and cold-chain technology have reduced fruit loss to nearly zero. This has helped lower the price of durians in the Chinese market. In Chengdu, the retail price has dropped from 70 yuan ($10.2) to about 40 yuan per kilogram.
From Jan 1 to April 26, the railway transported 50,300 metric tons of imported durians, marking a 94.2 percent increase compared with the previous year, according to China Railway Kunming Group.
With the peak durian season underway, the China-Laos Railway is projected to transport more than 200,000 tons of tropical fruit this year, according to the group.
The Chengdu port is positioning itself as a distribution center for Southeast Asian fruit, with a plan to import 20,000 tons of durians this year.
You May Like
-
China-Laos Railway handles over 70 mln passenger trips
The China-Laos Railway has handled over 70 million passenger trips since it began operations on Dec. 3, 2021.
InKunming 2026-04-01 -
China-Laos Railway transports over 80 million tonnes of carg...
A China-Laos Railway international freight train loaded with goods departed from Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Wednesday, bound for Vientian...
InKunming 2026-03-26 -
BRI Stories | China-Africa partnership promotes sustainable ...
As the largest freshwater lakes in China and Africa, respectively, Poyang Lake and Lake Victoria have witnessed a cross-continental collaboration for sustainabl...
InKunming 2026-03-25 -
Border town emerges as key port for China-Europe trade over ...
In the course of the past ten years, Horgos Railway Port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has become one of the busiest gateways for China-...
InKunming 2026-03-16 -
China-Europe Railway Express freight volume up 25 pct in fir...
InKunming 2026-03-16 -
Int'l passenger train from China to DPRK arrives in Pyongyan...
An international passenger train from the city of Dandong in northeast China's Liaoning Province to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) arrived i...
InKunming 2026-03-13 -
Column: Enough of the "debt trap" nonsense
The "debt trap" rumors, shadowing the BRI since day one, deliberately exaggerate the debt burden of developing countries, ignore their genuine needs for financi...
InKunming 2026-03-12 -
Legal shield in focus for China's overseas assets
Accelerating the drafting of a law on the protection of overseas interests would help China build a more comprehensive legal framework to safeguard its assets a...
InKunming 2026-03-11 -
Cross-border travel rush
The China-Vietnam international passenger train has recorded its first-ever full-capacity occupancy during the Spring Festival travel rush in 2026, signaling a ...
InKunming 2026-03-06 -
Xinhua Headlines: China-Europe freight train service boosts ...
Over 2,000 years ago, during the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD), Chinese envoy Zhang Qian embarked on a journey from Chang'an, known as Xi'an today, to the ...
InKunming 2026-03-05
