Thai-Cambodian rail line plan gets a push

[Mongwin]

Explore the Interior of Royal Railway's New Japanese Trains: Kith Meng Brings Comfort to Cambodian Travel
Date: April 30, 2024, 05:48 PM

(Phnom Penh): Take a first look at the newly arrived Royal Railway trains ordered from Japan by Kith Meng. All 11 trains reached Cambodia on April 27th, 2024.

Passengers will enjoy a comfortable experience with upholstered seating and plush carpeting throughout the carriages. These special trains are equipped with exciting amenities like refrigerators, handwashing facilities, and other conveniences designed to enhance the train travel experience.

Kith Meng's Royal Railway Cambodia has invested in 11 Japanese high-speed locomotives. These will provide passenger services on two major routes: Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, and Phnom Penh to Poipet in Banteay Meanchey province.

https://freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews/339222-2024-04-30-10-48-29.html

[Mongwin]

Bangkok-Phnom Penh Train Service to Start

Source - Daily News
Monday, September 02, 2024 04:56

Freight transport to Mab Ta Phut first, passenger service next year

Mr. Phichet Kunadhammarak, Director-General of the Department of Rail Transport (DRT), revealed that around September 2027, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) plans to launch its first cross-border freight train service from Map Ta Phut Railway Station, Muang District, Rayong Province, Thailand, to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The route will be Map Ta Phut - Khlong Luek (Sa Kaeo) - Phnom Penh, with a total distance of approximately 691 kilometers. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Thailand and Cambodia in 2019. Initially, the train will transport goods for Global Multimodal Logistics Co., Ltd. (GML), a subsidiary of PTT Public Company Limited, with two weekly trips carrying petroleum products such as plastic pellets, engine oil, and brake fluid.

Mr. Phichet further stated that at the end of last year, SRT conducted its first trial run of a cross-border freight train from Map Ta Phut to Phnom Penh, transporting two containers of plastic pellets and engine oil. No issues were encountered with the train operation itself, but problems arose with customs inspections. Upon reaching Poipet, Cambodia, the goods had to be unloaded from the train onto trucks for inspection at the Customs Department, located 2 kilometers away from Poipet Station. After inspection, the goods had to be reloaded onto the train to continue to Phnom Penh, causing inconvenience and significant delays.

As a result, a joint working group from both countries, including all relevant parties, was established to expedite solutions for inspections to be conducted solely at the final destination in Phnom Penh. Preparations are underway to ensure maximum efficiency, convenience, time-saving, and cost reduction for rail freight transport. This aligns with the Ministry of Transport's policy to promote seamless connections between Thailand's rail freight transport and the ASEAN rail network.

Mr. Phichet also mentioned that regarding passenger rail transport from Thailand to Cambodia, Mr. Surapong Piyachoti, Deputy Minister of Transport, has urged for swift progress. Both sides are in discussions to prepare for train operations, with a particular focus on safety, which is of utmost importance to ensure the utmost convenience and safety for passengers. It is initially expected that cross-border passenger train services to Cambodia will commence around 2028. Currently, there are train services connecting Thailand and Cambodia, namely the Bangkok-Ban Khlong Luek route (trains 275 and 276), covering a distance of 260.23 kilometers with two daily trips and a travel time of 5 hours and 22 minutes. However, passengers need to disembark at Ban Khlong Luek Station to continue their journey by other means. In the future, from Ban Khlong Luek Border Checkpoint Station, trains can travel to Poipet and Sisophon in Cambodia, a distance of approximately 30 kilometers, with an additional travel time of about 1 hour.

Source: Daily News Newspaper, September 3, 2027 issue (Afternoon Edition)