Vientiane - The new freight train ASEAN Express connecting Malaysia, Thailand, and Laos will begin operating in October this year.

Malaysian Minister of Transport Wee Ka Siong flags off the train's first dry run (Photo: Laotian Times).

The tri-country cargo transport operated by the Malaysian-based railway company Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) went through its dry run last week to test all aspects to better prepare for the commercial launch of the service, as reported by the Malaysian newspaper The Star.

To reach Laos from Malaysia, the train needs to cross 2,206km through Thai stations in 72 hours. From the Tanaleng station in Laos’s Vientiane, the railway will have connections to such Chinese provinces as Kunming, Chengdu and Chongqing.

At the end of this month, officials from Thailand will visit Laos to discuss the construction of a railway connection between Thailand and the Laos-China Railway, according to the Laotian Times.