Thailand's new rail links carry hope for expanded Chinese trade

VIENTIANE/SINGAPORE -- Thailand's national railway opened a new passenger service to Laos this month, the latest addition to an expanding Southeast Asian rail network aimed at increasing cross-border traffic of people and goods with China.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) opened the new Bangkok-Vientiane line on Friday evening. The roughly 650-kilometer trip connecting the two capitals takes 12 hours, including cross-border customs checks.