Summary： The Laos-China Railway Co. Ltd. (LCRC), the joint venture in charge of the railway's construction and operation, has launched the local Lao staff recruiting for the railway's future operation.

VIENTIANE, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Laos-China Railway Co. Ltd. (LCRC), the joint venture in charge of the railway's construction and operation, has launched the local Lao staff recruiting for the railway's future operation.

LCRC General Manager Li Bingxuan said at the launching ceremony on Wednesday that the company will initially employ around 700 local Lao staff for the railway's operation which is expected to start at the end of 2021.

The company, based in Lao capital Vientiane, said the project is at a critical stage in 2020 to complete sub-rail civil engineering work and start the track engineering work.

To get ready for the operation, the LCRC will send the qualified Lao youth candidates to Chinese railway vocational schools in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, for training.

The first group of 300 will go to Kunming in June, where they will attend courses for train drivers, engine mechanics and supervisors of railway maintenance for 13 to 18 months. Interested persons are advised to visit the company's website and social media pages.

After training and assessment, the approved candidates will be formally employed by the LCRC, which is said to offer competitive salary and welfare.

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

The 414-km railway, with 198-km tunnels and 62-km bridges, will run from Boten border gate in northern Laos, bordering China, to Vientiane with an operating speed of 160 km per hour.

The electrified passenger and cargo railway is built with the full application of Chinese management and technical standards.

The project started in December 2016 and is scheduled to be completed and operational in December 2021.