Aerial photo taken on Dec. 4, 2021 shows an international freight train traveling to Laos near the China-Laos border. The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, started operation on Dec. 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

CHONGQING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- A cargo train departed from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Thursday and is heading for Lao capital Vientiane via the China-Laos Railway.

The train, carrying hardware products, mechanical parts, kitchen supplies and auto parts manufactured in Chongqing and the surrounding areas, is expected to arrive in Vientiane in about four days.

In the future, goods from Southeast Asia can be transported to Europe via the China-Europe freight train route and the China-Laos Railway, and vice versa, which will add new impetus to the economic and trade exchanges between Central Europe and Southeast Asia, noted Qi Dan, general manager of Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd., one of the operators on the route.

Preliminary estimates show that the delivery between Southeast Asia and Europe via the new logistics passage will take about 20 days, less than half the time of maritime shipping.

The China-Laos Railway connects Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province with the Lao capital Vientiane. The 1,035-km railway officially went into operation in early December.

Launched in Chongqing and Chengdu in 2011 and 2013, respectively, the China-Europe freight train services have significantly shortened the distance between western China and Europe.