PHNOM PENH: H.E. Sun Chanthol, Minister of Public Works and Transport, presided over a meeting to review the Ministry of Public Works and Transport’s preliminary results on Monday, January 23, 2023. The feasibility of converting the northern Phnom Penh-Poipet railway to a high-speed railway is being investigated.

The study project, which was overseen by China Roads and Bridges Corporation (CRBC), produced the following results: (1) Project Overview (2) Economic and Traffic Analysis (3) Construction Plan (4) Standards Basic techniques of the railway line (5) Transportation arrangements (6) Total construction and investment period (7) Financial assessment and (8) Clarification of a number of key issues.

According to the preliminary study, the project has a total length of 382 km and requires an investment of more than 4 billion US dollars, The high-speed railway has a width of 1,435 mm, a speed of 160 km/h, and a total of 33 stations to operate, 19 in the short term and 14 in the long term.

Furthermore, the line will be equipped with electric locomotives, with the construction of more than 300 overpasses to avoid traffic accidents at road intersections, and there will be a separation between the passenger terminal and the Lifting station in Phnom Penh (one at Phnom Penh station for passengers and the other at Samrong station for loading and unloading).

The upgrade of the Phnom Penh-Poipet Northern Railway to a high-speed railway is primarily focused on international passenger and freight services between Cambodia and Thailand, as well as passenger and freight transport. The line connects Phnom Penh to Poipet, passing through the provinces of Kandal, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang, and Banteay Meanchey.

The project will be Cambodia’s first standard high-speed rail line, serving as a major passenger and freight route both within the country and beyond.