Vientiane railway station

For the railway station serving trains to Thailand, see Khamsavath railway station.

Vientiane Railway Station ສະຖານີ ນະຄອນຫລວງວຽງຈັນ
General information
Location	Don Noun, Xaythany district Vientiane Prefecture Laos
Coordinates	18°2′46″N 102°41′26″E
Owned by	Laos–China Railway Company Limited (LCR)
Operated by	CR Kunming
Managed by	Lao National Railway State Enterprise (LNR)
Line(s)	Boten–Vientiane railway
Platforms	3
Tracks	5
Connections	Bus 12 (Central Bus Station, Khamsavath Station)
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Platform levels	2
Parking	Available
Bicycle facilities	No
Accessible	Yes
Architect	China Railway Construction
Architectural style	Laotian & Chinese
Other information
Status	Staffed, Open
History
Opened	3 December 2021 (2021-12-03)
Electrified	25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line
Services
Preceding station China Railway Following station Vientiane North towards Boten Boten–Vientiane railway Vientiane South Terminus
Cargo trains towards Vientiane South cargo terminal

Vientiane railway station (Lao: ສະຖານີ ນະຄອນຫລວງວຽງຈັນ; Chinese: 万象站) is a railway station in Vientiane, Laos. It is the second station on the Boten–Vientiane railway.[1] The largest and most important station on the line,[2] the station was opened along with the rest of the line on 3 December 2021.[3]

Design

Located 15 km northeast of central Vientiane,[4] the station building sits on 14,543 square metres (156,540 sq ft) of land and has three platforms and five tracks as well as a station hall that can accommodate 2,500 passengers.[2]

The station's theme is the City of Sandalwood, reflecting the original meaning of "Vientiane". The building is based on traditional Chinese architecture combined with Laotian environmental characteristics. The facade features eight tree-branch-shaped eaves, meant to evoke a tropical rainforest.[5]

Services

As of April 2023, the station has four services per day: two via Luang Prabang to Boten at the Chinese border, one to Luang Prabang only and one to Kunming South.[6]

Future expansion

All tracks at the station are standard gauge, so the station does not serve the existing narrow-gauge railway from Thailand to Laos, which terminates at Khamsavath railway station. The standard gauge Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed railway, scheduled for completion in 2028, may eventually extend to Vientiane station, completing the Kunming–Singapore railway.[7]

In 2022, the Vientiane Times announced that Laos intends to build a new standard-gauge railway from Vientiane to the port of Vung Ang in central Vietnam.[8]

Connections

The Vientiane city bus 12 connects the station to the Central Bus Station, Patuxai Monument and the Khamsavath railway station. It costs 20,000 kip for adults and half the price for children, and is about an hours ride into the city.

Tuk-Tuks and ride hailing services are also available at the station.

Gallery

• 
  Vientiane railway station waiting area
• 
  Inside Vientiane railway station
• 
  Vientiane railway station facade

References

1. 网易 (18 December 2019). "中老铁路-新建铁路磨丁至万象线四电工程施工总价承包中标结果". www.163.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 5 October 2022.
2. "Lao capital station of China-Laos Railway makes debut". Xinhua. 7 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022.
3. Thevongsa, Phoonsab; Cao, Ella (3 December 2021). "China and Laos open $6 billion high-speed rail link". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
4. "How to travel by train, bus & boat to & within Laos | Bangkok-Vientiane by train". The Man in Seat 61. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024.
5. "Completed Vientiane station on track for Laos-China Railway opening". The Star. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 12 October 2021.
6. "Express Train for Laos-China Railway". laostravel.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023.
7. Clark, James (23 November 2020). "Bangkok–Nong Khai High-Speed Railway". Future Southeast Asia. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023.
8. Kishimoto, Marimi (2 April 2022). "Laos' logistics vision for ASEAN: All rails lead to Vientiane". Nikkei Asia. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024.