Traveling on China-Laos Railway with new app

VIENTIANE: Passengers traveling on the China-Laos Railway can now easily book and manage their journeys on smartphones using a new mobile ticketing application.

The Laos-China Railway Co Ltd (LCRC) launched its mobile ticketing application on Wednesday, marking the China-Laos Railway’s official entry into an era of online ticketing.

The launch of the LCR Ticket mobile application increases the comfort and efficiency of passengers during their journey.

As the number of passengers on the China-Laos Railway increases, the LCRC has developed an online ticketing app system to further simplify ticket purchasing.

• China-Laos-Thailand rail link plans talks

“I used to have to queue for hours to buy a ticket, not knowing if tickets were still available or not. It wasted a lot of time,” a 25-year-old woman named Tingkham Phetboulom described how difficult it was to get a train ticket before the app launched.

“But now with the LCR ticket app I can confirm that I will definitely get tickets. It’s so comfortable!”

A conductor serves drinking water to a passenger on a train on the China-Laos railway, Nov. 23, 2022. (Photo: Xinhua)

With a few quick taps on a mobile app, passengers can now book their tickets, cancel and get information on train schedules, stations and routes.

In addition, passengers traveling within Laos can pass ticket control and board the train by scanning a QR code generated by the ticketing system after purchasing their tickets.

“I don’t have to worry about losing my ticket as I can pass ticket inspection simply by scanning the QR code in my smartphone,” Tingkham said.

The launch of the LCR ticket mobile application has also made headlines on social media in Laos, with some netizens commenting on the news and expressing their excitement.

“It’s so convenient! Now we can buy tickets from anywhere using our mobile phones.”

“Travelling by train would become much more convenient because we don’t have to queue for hours to get a ticket.”

“The app is available in Lao, Chinese and English, which is great because it means tourists can use it too,” said some comments.

Stewardesses wait for passengers next to a Lane Xang EMU train at Vientiane railway station of the China-Laos railway in Laos, May 24, 2022. (Photo: Xinhua)

Passengers across Laos rushed to test the app from the early hours of Wednesday. Some social media users posted their tickets online and praised the new ticketing app.

Phoutthala Inthalangsy, who became the first Laotian to buy a train ticket through the LCR ticket app, said registering and buying tickets online is just a matter of a few clicks on mobile.

“Just download the app and follow the steps. Buying tickets doesn’t take long. The app is modern and saves time,” explained Inthalangsy.

The app is developed using mature technology from China’s railway system, integrated with the characteristics of Lao culture, laws and regulations, with various functions to meet users’ needs.

Ticket payments can be made via e-Wallet-Services like Visa, UnionPay, WeChat and Alipay are done.

The number of passengers on the China-Laos Railway continues to grow. The Laotian section of the railway set a new record on March 4 with 10,197 passengers per day.

From January to February, the railway carried a total of 417,400 passengers, 256.2% more than in the same period in 2022.