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VIENTIANE, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The branch of state-run Electricite du Laos in northern Luang Prabang Province has confirmed to provide adequate electricity for the construction of China-Laos railway project.
To ensure the provision, Luang Prabang Electricite du Laos dispatched a team of technical officials to monitor the project. Head of the Electricite du Laos branch in Luang Prabang Province Fongpaserth Phetsisouk said that the first section of the railway, which stretches 40 km from northern Oudomxay to Luang Prabang Province, will require 11MW of electricity for the construction work, local Vientiane Times reported on Saturday.
The second section will run a similar distance from the Luang Prabang station to Kasy district in central Vientiane Province and will require a higher amount of electricity than the first section, amounting to 30MW. This part of the project will require the construction of a new substation to access to the construction areas, Fongpaserth said on Friday.
Construction of the China-Laos railway officially started last Sunday in Luang Prabang. The China-Laos railway has a total length of 414.332 km with over 62.7 percent being bridges and tunnels, linking Mohan-Boten border gate in northern Laos and capital Vientiane. There are 32 stations along the route. Operating speed on the route is designed at 160 km per hour. Construction of the project is scheduled for five years with investment of some 40 billion Chinese yuan (about 5.8 billion US dollars), 70 percent of which comes from Chinese investment and the rest 30 percent from Lao side.
China-Laos railway is Laos' first overseas route connecting with the railway system in China, using Chinese technology, equipment and investment.
