Prime Minister Hun Sen, Head of the Royal Government has instructed the Ministry of Public Works and Transport to study the feasibility of improving the existing railway system in Cambodia into a high-speed railway.
This is according to Sun Chanthol, Minister of Public Works and Transport, while leading a youth delegation of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport to visit Sihanoukville Autonomous Port on April 27, 2022.
“We are studying to transform our railway into a high-speed railway from Poipet to Phnom Penh, from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and to the port,” he said.
The Cambodian government has been pushing for upgrading the existing railway system to a high-speed railway, building new railway lines domestically, and connecting the tracks to neighbouring countries.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said this in early April at an inauguration ceremony of 38 roads and other physical infrastructure in Siem Reap City, Siem Reap province.
The existing two railway lines are traditional, running at a maximum of 30 km per hour and cannot support the transportation needs, the Prime Minister said.
He said that the new rail lines would be built to facilitate goods transport and people mobilisation and connect the rail tracks with rail lines in neighbouring countries.
The Kingdom has two rail lines, which started in the French colony era. The tracks were repaired and renovated before resuming service for rail freight only in 2010.