He carried on by saying that although this section of line linking the Cambodian capital city to Bangkok will be complete, other parts needed restoring. He explained that parts of the line between Phnom Penh and Battambang and from there to Sisophon are in a bad state of repair.
Mr Chanthol added that assessors had worked out the repair bill for the damaged sections was US$17 million. He explained that the Finance Ministry had allocated a budget to restore the nation’s northern rail line but it simply was not enough to see the project through.
The prime-ministers of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to renew the rail connection between the two countries’ capitals late last year. The line from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet is still operational and the State Railway of Thailand operates daily services on it. 12GO ASIA provides ticketing options for travel between these two locations.
The last section to the Cambodian border has been disused since the 1940s as Cambodia’s ruling French government at the time scrapped service beyond Battambang. After a nine-year hiatus, Cambodia’s railway system was resurrected in April 2016 and service began on the southern Phnom Penh-Kampot-Sihanoukville line.
Thailand Cambodia railway line to reconnect by New Year
News in Asia
Cambodia’s transport-minister says a long-disused rail link to Thailand will be reconnected before the New Year’s holiday. Sun Chanthol told reporters last week that workers would have joined the tracks linking Poi Pet to Aranyaprathet before the start of the holiday.