KUNMING, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway has emerged as a catalyst for regional economic growth three years after its launch, China's railway operator said on Tuesday.

Offering a safe and sustainable operation, the railway had handled over 43 million passenger trips and transported 48.3 million tonnes of cargo as of Monday, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

The 1,035-km railway, a flagship project within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, connects China's southwestern city of Kunming with the Laotian capital of Vientiane. It started operation on Dec. 3, 2021.

The railway has significantly enhanced regional connectivity, which, in turn, has facilitated people-to-people exchanges.

Over the past three years, the number of monthly passenger trips has surged from over 600,000 at the start of operation to more than 1.6 million today, while the number of cross-border freight trains has increased from two to 18 per day.

The variety of goods transported across the border has also expanded, growing from more than 500 types to over 3,000. The railway has handled over 10.6 million tonnes of imported and exported goods since it was put into operation, with a total value exceeding 44 billion yuan (about 6.11 billion U.S. dollars).

The railway has helped Laos, a landlocked country, enhance its international trade and economic exchanges by offering improved logistics efficiency. The railway has cut the freight costs within Laos by 20 to 40 percent.