Minister of MPWT Reveals 4 High-Speed Railway Projects to Be Built in the Future

On April 5, 2024, H.E. Peng Ponea, Minister of Public Works and Transport, and Mr. John Guiry, CEO of Royal Railway Cambodia, held a joint press conference on "Measures to Prevent and Strengthen Railway Safety."

The press conference was held after a traffic accident between a train and a bus on the road to Chrok La’eang in Bam Nak village, Chheu Tom commune, Krakor district, Pursat province that happened on March 29, 2024.

According to the Minister, the two railway lines, Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh-Poipet, have a total of 975 crossings, including 525 public crossing roads and 450 private crossing roads.

According to H.E. Peng Ponea, as an emergency measure to strengthen safety on the railway, the Ministry and the company have set out three measures, including: the first is to increase the safety of railway infrastructure; the second is to install clear traffic signs to alert drivers that there is an upcoming railway crossing; and the third is to improve public education.

In addition to presenting measures to improve safety on the railway, the Minister of MPWT also unveiled the railway development project in Cambodia, which the Ministry has considered and determined in the development plan.

The minister said that four high-speed rail lines are priority projects of the Royal Government for future infrastructure to facilitate transportation in Cambodia.

The Minister continued that "for the long-term development from 2028 to 2033, the first project is the reconstruction of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville railway into a high-speed railway. Then we will continue to update the railway of Phnom Penh-Poipet to become a high-speed railway; the third project is the construction of a high-speed railway from Phnom Penh to Bavet, Vietnam border; the fourth project is the construction of a high-speed railway from Phnom Penh-Kampong Thom-Siem Reap-Poipet."

The minister also highlighted that, among the goals of the Royal Government in the field of railway, there are eight major projects. There are 3 development projects in the medium term from 2023 to 2026, including the project to upgrade the Phnom Penh-Poipet railway, the railway project connecting Phnom Penh to Techo Takhmao International Airport, and the project connecting Siem Reap City to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport. As for the other five projects, including the above four high-speed rail projects and the railway in Phnom Penh, they are in the long-term development project from 2028 to 2033.