China-Laos Railway kicks off dynamic testing

Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 from the first dynamic testing train travelling from Lao capital Vientiane to Laos-China border town of Boten shows the view of northern Laos. The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway.

Dynamic testing is an important step before the railway is put into operation. It conducts integrated tests on all systems of the whole railway by running a testing train at the specified test speed and with relevant testing equipment, including testing of interface relationship among systems and debugging and optimizing of various systems, etc., so as to provide a scientific basis for the railway's opening-to-traffic.

The testing items mainly include track geometry, electric traction power supply, communication and signaling system, passenger and freight service system, noise, vibration, electromagnetic environment, etc.

According to the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd., the dynamic testing, undertaken by the China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited, will take an estimated testing duration of 18 days.

The China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited is the only enterprise with the dynamic testing qualification for railway construction projects in China. It have undertaken dynamic testing technical services in many overseas projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway.

During the dynamic testing of the China-Laos Railway, Chinese engineers will scientifically and rigorously analyze the testing data of the railway, strictly evaluate the testing results against the requirements of testing program and standards, and finely adjust to or rectify the systems according to the testing results until all systems meet the requirements for safe and stable operation of the whole railway.

The China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

The electrified passenger and cargo railway is built with the full application of Chinese management and technical standards. The construction of the project started in December 2016 and is scheduled to be completed and open to traffic in December 2021. 

Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 from the first dynamic testing train travelling from Lao capital Vientiane to Laos-China border town of Boten shows the view of northern Laos. The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)