The first train left Zhengzhou International Land Port and crossed the China–Laos border at the Mohan checkpoint in Yunnan province. On board were 848 metric tonnes of goods: tyres, equipment parts and plywood. The largest consignment was 480 tonnes of chemical raw materials produced by a Henan new materials company specifically for chemical plants in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
Map Ta Phut has become the network’s second direct destination in Thailand after Laem Chabang. The Zhengzhou-based freight train network now covers 30 overseas destinations and 10 border crossings and serves more than 140 cities in over 40 countries.
To speed up border crossing, customs at Zhengzhou railway station advised shippers on product classification in advance and introduced accelerated customs clearance with inspection before loading. According to the customs authorities, clearance efficiency increased by 20%.
In January–September, the network’s trains made 2,948 trips and carried 286,000 containers, up 30.6% and 26.6% respectively year on year. The launch of the new route is in line with the network’s overall expansion: it is steadily adding destinations in ASEAN, replacing or supplementing sea routes.
For companies working with Thailand and neighbouring Southeast Asian markets, the route via Laos reduces transit time compared with sea transport on most routes from central China. Chemical raw materials, building materials and industrial components are categories where speed and predictable delivery times directly affect the recipient’s production cycles. The fact that the first shipment was aimed at the EEC points to the route’s target audience: the manufacturing clusters on Thailand’s east coast, which are actively attracting investment in the chemical and petrochemical industries.
The network continues to expand: 30 overseas destinations and growing volumes are building infrastructure that exporters from Henan and neighbouring provinces are already including in their logistics plans for 2026.
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